# medieval

Pronunciation: US say "mi-DEE-vuhl" /mɪdˈi.vəl/; UK say "med-ee-EE-vuhl" /ˌmɛd.iˈiː.vəl/

## Adjective

1. Belonging to or characteristic of the Middle Ages, the period of European history from roughly 500 to 1500 AD.
   - Simple: From the long period of European history between about 500 and 1500 AD.
   - _The manuscript dates from the medieval period and features ornate illustrations._
   - _Medieval towns often grew up around a central marketplace and a church._
2. Brutal: harshly violent in a way popularly associated with the Middle Ages.
   - Simple: Very harsh and violent, with no kindness shown at all.
   - _The dictator's prisons were notorious for their medieval cruelty._
   - _Fans described the boxer's final round as absolutely medieval._
3. Outdated or old-fashioned, as though belonging to a far earlier age.
   - Simple: So old-fashioned that it seems to belong to a much earlier time.
   - _The company's medieval approach to record-keeping frustrated every new hire._
   - _Her relatives held medieval views about how young women should behave._

## Other meanings

- (noun) Someone living in the Middle Ages.
- (noun) A medieval example (of something aforementioned or understood from context).

## Origin

From French médiéval ("medieval"), formed from Latin medium ("middle") plus aevum ("age").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/medieval (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).