medievalist

[ mee-dee-ee-vuh-list, med-ee-, mid-ee-, mid-ee-vuh- ]

noun

1. an expert in medieval history, literature, philosophy, etc.
2. a person who is greatly attracted to the art, culture, spirit, etc., of the Middle Ages.

medievalist

/ ˌmɛdɪˈiːvəlɪst /

noun

1. a student or devotee of the Middle Ages

Derived Forms

• ˌmediˌevalˈistic, adjective

Other Words From

• anti·medi·eval·ist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of medievalist¹

First recorded in 1850–55; medieval + -ist

Example Sentences

After reviewing images of the map, a medievalist suggested it may date to the mid-1350s.

From Los Angeles Times

The text fragment was identified by medievalist Grigory Kessel, who used ultraviolet photography to study the document found in the Vatican Library.

From Washington Times

“In the middle of the German-speaking lands, this was the place to be at the time,” said Maria Stürzebecher, a medievalist who is the curator of the Old Synagogue Museum in Erfurt.

From New York Times

Writing in the Journal of the History of Biology in 1991, medievalist Faye Marie Getz, author of Medicine in the English Middle Ages, cited an actual National Enquirer headline that would set any historian’s teeth on edge: “Even Though 55 Million Died, Black Death That Wiped Out Europe Had a Good Side!”

From Slate

Writing in Politico last year, medievalist Cord Whitaker pointed out the extent to which the “idea of chivalry” motivates revanchists and white supremacists.

From Slate