Medieval

Medieval

Adjective · /ˌmed.iˈiː.vəl/

Definition

Relating to the Middle Ages, the period of European history roughly from the 5th to the 15th century; informally, resembling or suggestive of the Middle Ages; (informal) extremely harsh, primitive, or cruel.

Origin

From Medieval Latin medievalis, from Latin medius (middle) + aevum (age, era). The term Middle Ages was coined by Renaissance humanists who saw their own period as a revival of classical antiquity and regarded the intervening centuries as a dark middle period. The word medieval (often also spelled mediaeval) entered English in the 19th century as scholarly interest in the period grew.