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Was the Little Ice Age a true glacial age like the Pleistocene Ice Age?

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Line graph showing estimated temperature variations from 1000 to 2000 CE for the Northern Hemisphere and central England, with three lines representing different data sources. The chart highlights the medieval warm period around 1100-1300 and the Little Ice Age from about 1500 to 1850, followed by a sharp temperature rise in the late 20th century. Temperature is shown as deviations from the 1961-1990 average. — Little Ice Age Estimates of temperature variations for the Northern Hemisphere and central England from 1000 to 2000 ce.

The Little Ice Age (14th–19th century) was not a true glacial age in the same sense as the Pleistocene Epoch or other major ice ages. While major ice ages are characterized by massive, mile-high ice sheets covering vast portions of continents for millions of years, the Little Ice Age was a more limited climate interval.12

The distinction can be summarized as follows:

Scale and Severity: Unlike the deep, global freezes of the ancient past, the Little Ice Age was not a global "deep freeze". Human civilization continued to thrive and expand during this period.1
Glacial Activity: While the period is defined by the expansion of mountain glaciers in regions like the European Alps, Alaska, and the southern Andes, these changes were regional rather than continental in scale.31
Climatic Variability: The period was marked by significant regional and temporal variability. Temperature declines were not uniform; while some areas experienced cooling, others remained stable or faced increased drought and precipitation swings.31

Ultimately, while the Little Ice Age was a significant climatic phenomenon, it is not classified as a formal ice age.1