1. A German lyric poet and musician of the 12th to 14th centuries who composed and performed songs, often about courtly love.
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to the tradition or a specific poet

Examples

• Walther von der Vogelweide was one of the most celebrated minnesingers of the Middle Ages.
• The minnesingers performed at the courts of German nobility, entertaining with songs of love and chivalry.
• Medieval minnesingers influenced the development of European lyric poetry.
• The tradition of the minnesinger flourished during the High Middle Ages in German-speaking lands.
• Many minnesingers were also skilled musicians who accompanied their own verses on the lute or harp.