infirmary

American  

[in-fur-muh-ree] / ɪnˈfɜr mə ri /

noun

plural

infirmaries

1. a place for the care of the infirm, sick, or injured; hospital or facility serving as a hospital.

   a school infirmary.

2. a dispensary.

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infirmary British  

/ ɪnˈfɜːmərɪ /

noun

1. a place for the treatment of the sick or injured; dispensary; hospital

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Etymology

Origin of infirmary

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word infirmāria. See infirm, -ary

Explanation

An infirmary is a hospital, or the area of an institution that's used as a hospital. If you come down with chickenpox at summer camp, you might have to spend a few nights in the camp infirmary. While you can call a hospital an infirmary, you're most likely to do this if you're British and referring to a specific hospital, like the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Infirmaries are usually spaces within larger buildings that provide healthcare. Inmates go to the prison infirmary when they're sick, and soldiers get their checkups at the military base infirmary. The earliest infirmaries were in monasteries. The Latin root is infirmus, "weak or frail."

Example Sentences

Working as a cook at the local infirmary, she attends a revival meeting that proves pivotal to her development.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

For the jail’s infirmary, there are options including adding new steel-braced frames.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2024

Walker was placed alone in a cell in the prison infirmary, a unit where he could be overseen by medical staff, according to the lawsuit.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2024

One woman, a BBC journalist who does not want to be named, said she knew her newborn son was seriously ill within minutes of giving birth at the infirmary in 2021.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2023

The sounds of Thurmond’s infirmary faded in and out in uneven waves.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Related Words

• dispensary