Dark Ages

noun

1. the period in European history from about a.d. 476 to about 1000.
2. the whole of the Middle Ages, from about a.d. 476 to the Renaissance.
3. (often lowercase) a period or stage marked by repressiveness, a lack of enlightenment or advanced knowledge, etc.

Dark Ages

plural noun

1. the period from about the late 5th century ad to about 1000 ad , once considered an unenlightened period
2. (occasionally) the whole medieval period

Dark Ages

1. A term sometimes applied to the early Middle Ages , the first few centuries after the Fall of Rome . The term suggests prevailing ignorance and barbarism, but there were forces for culture and enlightenment throughout the period.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dark Ages¹

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

And in terms of what we're doing here, they want to abolish all health care for women, to take us back beyond earlier than the Dark Ages.

From Salon

“I feel like it's just pushed our scene in Australia into the Dark Ages,” Australian hip-hop pioneer Spice told the BBC.

From BBC

"It's supposed to be 21st Century and we're living in Dark Ages as far as I'm concerned. It's just beyond ridiculous that people are struggling for place to live."

From BBC

As we noted recently, this is exactly the kind of thinking that keeps countries like Afghanistan and Iran in the Dark Ages when it comes to individual freedoms.

From Seattle Times

Since the Dark Ages, Flat Holm has been a retreat for monks and has also acted as a sanctuary for Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, silver miners, smugglers and cholera victims.

From BBC