infancy

[ in-fuhn-see ]

/ ˈɪn fən si /

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See synonyms for infancy on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural in·fan·cies.

the state or period of being an infant; very early childhood, usually the period before being able to walk; babyhood.

the corresponding period in the existence of anything; very early stage: Space science is in its infancy.

infants collectively.

Law. the period of life to the age of majority, 21 years at common law but now usually 18; minority; nonage.

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Origin of infancy

From the Latin word infantia, dating back to 1485–95. See infant, -cy

Words nearby infancy

infallibility, papal, infallible, infamize, infamous, infamy, infancy, infant, infanta, infante, infanticide, infantile

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use infancy in a sentence

It’s easy to take for granted now that very few babies in rich countries die of disease in infancy, that most infectious diseases are treatable, and that there are vaccines available when we need them.
Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year. Here’s how humans beat it.|Kelsey Piper|February 5, 2021|Vox
In the large-scale structure of the universe, theorists see signs of an explosive growth spurt during the cosmos’s infancy.
Physicists Study How Universes Might Bubble Up and Collide|Charlie Wood|January 25, 2021|Quanta Magazine
At first, when online ordering was in its infancy, these services were a boon.
The True Cost of Convenience|Deepti Sharma|January 22, 2021|Eater
Lab-grown meat is still in its infancy, and lab-grown plant material is even more nascent.
MIT develops method for lab-grown plants that eventually lead to alternatives to forestry and farming|Darrell Etherington|January 20, 2021|TechCrunch

It is like watching someone rapidly rewind into infancy, decades of experience and knowledge eroding over the course of a final 10 years or so.
When Your Father Falls Apart|Eugene Robinson|December 23, 2020|Ozy
There was no YouTube or social media; the Internet was in its infancy.
These Clinton Haters Can’t Quit the Crazy|David Freedlander|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The nuclear metamorphosized giant monster genre was in its infancy when Godzilla was first born.
A Comprehensive History of Toho’s Original Kaiju (and Atomic Allegory) Godzilla|Rich Goldstein|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As for social mobility, Tocqueville wrote at a time when American industry was in its infancy.
Poulos Gets Piketty—and Tocqueville—Wrong|Arthur Goldhammer|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was a young reporter in the city and covered this controversy in its infancy.
The Grotesque Ban On Gays In New York’s St Patrick’s Day Parade|Michael Tomasky|March 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, Kuniak is hopeful for the future, stating this type of therapy is still “in its infancy.”
The Rise of Superhero Therapy: Comic Books as Psychological Treatment|Alex Suskind|February 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By its operation Gordon Wright, the most sensible man of our acquaintance, is reduced to the level of infancy!
Confidence|Henry James
The period of infancy is fixed by law, and is therefore a conventional, yet needful regulation.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
In most states infancy ends at the age of twenty-one, though some states fix a younger period, eighteen for women.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
From our earliest infancy he inspired us, not so much with love as with respect and adoration.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
If nothing is done during infancy inaction operates generally as an affirmation.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for infancy

infancy

/ (ˈɪnfənsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

the state or period of being an infant; childhood

an early stage of growth or development

infants collectively

the period of life prior to attaining legal majority (reached at 21 under common law, at 18 by statute); minority nonage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

infancy

Origin of infancy

Words nearby infancy

Words related to infancy

How to use infancy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for infancy