infantry

American  

[in-fuhn-tree] / ˈɪn fən tri /

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.

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infantry British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• noninfantry noun

Etymology

Origin of infantry

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

Example Sentences

Fifteen French mountain infantry soldiers marched onto a runway late Wednesday and boarded a bus labeled “Greenland Excursions,” their first step in a mission to deter a U.S. invasion of the Arctic island.

From The Wall Street Journal

In his early years, Padrino was sent to the U.S. for infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga., which he said provided insight into American culture, what he called “the monster in its entrails.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The Defense Ministry’s March document says Ukraine would increase its use of unmanned ground vehicles, such as drones to evacuate casualties, to 80% of its “maneuver brigades,” or mechanized infantry.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was defended by a mix of infantry, archers, and cavalry drawn from across the Roman Empire.

From Science Daily

In about a year, his infantry platoon went from having one kind of drone, a small quadcopter, to seven types to experiment with.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• infantrymen