infant

American  

[in-fuhnt] / ˈɪn fənt /

noun

1. a child during the earliest period of their life, especially before they can walk; baby.

2. Law. a person who is not of full age, especially one who has not reached the age of 18 years; a minor.

3. a beginner, as in experience or learning; novice.

   The new candidate is a political infant.

4. anything in the first stage of existence or progress.

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adjective

1. of or relating to infants or infancy.

   infant years.

2. being in infancy.

   an infant king.

3. being in the earliest stage.

   an infant industry.

4. of or relating to the legal state of infancy; minor.

infant British  

/ ˈɪnfənt /

noun

1. a child at the earliest stage of its life; baby

2. law another word for minor

3. a young schoolchild, usually under the age of seven

4. a person who is beginning or inexperienced in an activity

5. (modifier)

   1. of or relating to young children or infancy

   2. designed or intended for young children

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adjective

1. in an early stage of development; nascent

   an infant science or industry

2. 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

Katherine Ryan couldn’t look any more serene sitting in the dark with her laptop open, white noise machine humming and an infant sleeping in her arms.

From Los Angeles Times

Cereulide is a toxin which is unlikely to be destroyed by cooking, or when making the infant milk, the FSA says.

From BBC

The coldness in the way he was always described as “the subject” or “the infant,” and never “my child,” or even the thing he was most hoping for...his real name, made Coal’s chest ache.

From Literature

And by any yardstick, from infant mortality to life expectancy, America occupies the cellar among peer countries, including several that many would consider to be inferior.

From MarketWatch

France's health minister on Friday sought to reassure consumers that all suspicious infant formula had been withdrawn, as an investigation began into the deaths of two babies who drank possibly contaminated powdered milk.

From Barron's

Related Words

• child
• kid
• newborn
• toddler