# medieval

/miˈdivəɫ/ (US) · /mˈɛdɪˌiːvəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/medieval
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. historical period

adjective · CEFR B2

relating to the Middle Ages, the period in European history from about 500 to 1500 AD.

For teachers: relating to the Middle Ages, the historical period spanning roughly the 5th to the 15th centuries.

- The city is famous for its beautiful medieval cathedral and narrow streets.
- Scholars often debate the precise transition points between the medieval period and the early modern era in different European regions.

### 2. old-fashioned or cruel

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

very old-fashioned, primitive, or sometimes very cruel.

For teachers: resembling the Middle Ages in being primitive, archaic, or characterized by extreme cruelty or lack of enlightenment.

- The prison conditions were described as medieval by the human rights group.
- The critic dismissed the new policy as medieval, arguing that it ignored decades of progress in social science and ethics.

### 3. a person from that time

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

a person who lived during the Middle Ages.

For teachers: a person belonging to or living during the Middle Ages.

- The historian studied how medievals understood the concept of time.
- To understand the text, one must consider the worldview of the medievals who originally composed and transcribed it.

## Examples

- The museum has a large collection of medieval armor.
- Historians study medieval manuscripts to understand how people lived during the fourteenth century.
- The city's medieval architecture remains remarkably intact, providing a stark contrast to the glass and steel of the modern financial district.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.