infancy
Americannoun
plural
infancies-
the state or period of being an infant; very early childhood, usually the period before being able to walk; babyhood.
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the corresponding period in the existence of anything; very early stage.
Space science is in its infancy.
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infants collectively.
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Law. the period of life to the age of majority, 21 years at common law but now usually 18; minority; nonage.
noun
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the state or period of being an infant; childhood
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an early stage of growth or development
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infants collectively
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the period of life prior to attaining legal majority (reached at 21 under common law, at 18 by statute); minority nonage
Etymology
Origin of infancy
From the Latin word infantia, dating back to 1485–95. See infant, -cy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Researchers analyzed scans from more than 4,200 people from infancy to 90 years old and found several key periods of development including one from age nine to 32, which they coined the “adolescent” period.
From Science Daily
It requires open-heart surgery, usually in early infancy, to repair the defect, fix the valve, and prevent permanent damage to the lungs.
From BBC
"While our study is in its infancy, the findings provide a framework for understanding how aging-associated molecular changes affect neural stem cell behavior, and may ultimately guide the development of successful therapeutics."
From Science Daily
Artificial intelligence may still be in its infancy, but this mainstay of the stock market rally now has investors worried it will be its downfall.
From Barron's
Most of these children were born during the pandemic and spent much of their infancy quarantined indoors, their earliest socialization filtered through the blue light of tablets and television, Aguet said.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
