infant
Americannoun
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a child during the earliest period of their life, especially before they can walk; baby.
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Law. a person who is not of full age, especially one who has not reached the age of 18 years; a minor.
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a beginner, as in experience or learning; novice.
The new candidate is a political infant.
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anything in the first stage of existence or progress.
noun
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a child at the earliest stage of its life; baby
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law another word for minor
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a young schoolchild, usually under the age of seven
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a person who is beginning or inexperienced in an activity
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(modifier)
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of or relating to young children or infancy
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designed or intended for young children
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adjective
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in an early stage of development; nascent
an infant science or industry
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law of or relating to the legal status of infancy
Other Word Forms
- infanthood noun
- infantlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of infant
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin infant- (stem of infāns ) “small child,” literally, “one unable to speak,” equivalent to in- in- 3 + -fāns, present participle of fārī “to speak”; replacing Middle English enfaunt, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above
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.
Yet infant mortality remains high compared to other wealthy nations, despite more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths being preventable.
From Salon
She had emigrated from Tehran 10 years ago and brought her husband, infant son and mother to celebrate in Westwood, the epicenter of L.A.’s sprawling Iranian diaspora.
From Los Angeles Times
Whether or not this was true, whether the infant lived, and if so, who may have raised it, is entirely unknown.
From Literature
The infant mortality rate is three times higher than in Denmark.
It opened an infant classroom two days before the old location burned, pivoting to younger children to account for the loss of 4-year-olds to TK.
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.
