infantry

[in-fuhn-tree]

noun

plural

infantries 

1. soldiers or military units that fight on foot, in modern times typically with rifles, machine guns, grenades, mortars, etc., as weapons.

2. a branch of an army composed of such soldiers.

infantry

/ ˈɪnfəntrɪ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Inf.  inf. 

   1. soldiers or units of soldiers who fight on foot with small arms

   2. ( as modifier )

      an infantry unit

Other Word Forms

• noninfantry noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of infantry¹

1570–80; < Italian infanteria, equivalent to infante boy, foot-soldier ( infant ) + -ria -ry

Word History and Origins

Origin of infantry¹

C16: from Italian infanteria, from infante boy, foot soldier; see _infant

Example Sentences

Ukrainian officers said Rubicon focuses on midrange targets, usually at least 12 miles beyond the front line, bypassing Ukrainian infantry.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"The only way to avoid danger is to prepare for it," President Emmanuel Macron said while announcing the plan at an infantry base near Grenoble in south-east France.

Read more on BBC

Russia has thrown infantry into deadly assaults along tree lines and through villages around the city, while Ukraine has used explosive drones to keep them at bay.

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Ukrainian army sources told the BBC that special forces from military intelligence and assault groups were being used as regular infantry to protect supply lines to troops holding the town in the Donbas region.

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In a statement on Telegram, General Syrskyi said: "In Pokrovsk, enemy infantry, avoiding combat, is amassing in the urban area and changing locations, so the primary objective is to identify and destroy them."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• infantrymen www.thesaurus.com