gothic meaning and definition

GOTHIC noun

Definition of Gothic (noun)

1. extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas
2. a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries
   • synonyms: black letter
3. a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches
   • synonyms: Gothic architecture

GOTHIC adjective

Definition of Gothic (adjective)

1. characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German
2. of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths
   • "the Gothic Bible translation"
3. of or relating to the Goths
   • "Gothic migrations"
4. as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened
   • "a medieval attitude toward dating"
   • synonyms: mediaeval, medieval
5. characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque
   • "gothic novels like `Frankenstein'"