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infirmary

American  
[in-fur-muh-ree] / ɪnˈfɜr mə ri /

noun

  • infirmaries
    plural
  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.


infirmary British  
/ ɪnˈfɜːmərɪ /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing infirmary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A sort of community in miniature emerged, with security and scavenger teams and plumbers and one lone doctor running an overpacked infirmary.

From The Wall Street Journal May 20, 2026

He tossed batting practice, visited kids in the infirmary and signed autographs.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 21, 2026

Levi was too sick and Soviet troops found him close to death in the camp infirmary.

From BBC Jan. 27, 2025

He was susceptible to infection as a diabetic, but doctors in the infirmary did not stop the wound from festering, according to a lawsuit that was handwritten and filed by the prisoner.

From Seattle Times May 16, 2024

“You are in the infirmary at Redwall Abbey. As yet I do not know the full extent of your injuries. When you have rested, my friends will cleanse you and dress your wounds.”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

A pediatrician, my aunt jumped into action: Building and running makeshift infirmaries for children and trying to create some form of order in the face of insurmountable — and ongoing — need.

From Salon Mar. 18, 2023

The injured were diverted to workhouse infirmaries to be treated after Swansea General Hospital was bombed.

From BBC Feb. 19, 2021

The tide overwhelmed camp hospitals, relief organizations built temporary infirmaries, and the Army converted barracks to house battalions of sickened men.

From Slate May 16, 2020

Sanders also envisions small infirmaries with beds where people can recuperate if they’re sick, and mobile medical units that can get care faster to rural areas.

From Seattle Times Jun. 19, 2019

That is a piece of luck, the Catholic infirmaries are noted for their good treatment and good food.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

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