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

One problem would be Venezuela’s infantry, which could hole up in the densely packed slums of Caracas and other cities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“We did the Miramar Air Show before and they had a whole Marine Corps infantry display where they get off the helicopters and then they do the whole attack,” Ryan said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Combat standards are set differently depending on the unit a person is serving in, whether they are in special operations, infantry, armour or pararescue, she said.

Read more on BBC

According to the government, most of the prisoners who have signed up have volunteered for the infantry, where they've taken part in intense fighting.

Read more on BBC

Instead, Lt Pribylnov says, the Russians rely on small groups of infantry troops who relentlessly attack Ukrainian positions, sometimes on motor bikes but more often on foot.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• infantrymen www.thesaurus.com