infant
Americannoun
-
infants
plural
-
a child during the earliest period of their life, especially before they can walk; baby.
-
Law. a person who is not of full age, especially one who has not reached the age of 18 years; a minor.
-
a beginner, as in experience or learning; novice.
The new candidate is a political infant.
-
anything in the first stage of existence or progress.
noun
-
a child at the earliest stage of its life; baby
-
law another word for minor
-
a young schoolchild, usually under the age of seven
-
a person who is beginning or inexperienced in an activity
-
(modifier)
-
of or relating to young children or infancy
-
designed or intended for young children
-
adjective
-
in an early stage of development; nascent
an infant science or industry
-
law of or relating to the legal status of infancy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Explanation
An infant is a baby. When you were an infant, you weren't able to walk, talk, or feed yourself (but you had a pretty mean burp). Infant is most often used for a very young human, but you can also use it to talk about animal babies. People are considered infants from the moment of birth until approximately one year old, an age when many babies are starting to walk and talk. At this point, they're commonly called toddlers instead of infants. The Latin root is infantem, which as a noun means "babe in arms," and as an adjective "unable to speak."
Vocabulary lists containing infant
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.
See Examples For:
The new Pathways clinic is providing an additional location for breastfeeding and infant feeding support in the east of the island, improving accessibility for local families, the charity said.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
She gave the infant her last name in his obituary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The researchers did not include infant formula, beverages, or purees commonly offered as first foods.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
The practice fell out of favor by the early 20th century, in part because of the reduced infant mortality rate.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
Count Olaf rubbed his hands together as if he had been holding something revolting instead of an infant.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
The clinic - which serves a relatively poor community - has vaccinated hundreds of infants since 2023, helping to boost coverage in an area that's historically had a low rate of immunisations.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
When he suggested she bring the babies to China herself, she refused—she had no passport and couldn’t manage three infants on a multiday flight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
But people who can’t get the shot, including infants, have also gotten sick.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
The infants were probably exposed to measles “during international travel, whether in airports, airplanes or otherwise while abroad,” the state Department of Public Health told The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Folks cradled sleeping infants in their arms and held youngsters by the hand or propped up on their shoulders.
From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman
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.
