infrastructure

American  

[in-fruh-struhk-cher] / ˈɪn frəˌstrʌk tʃər /

noun

1. the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools.

   Investments in infrastructure helped the U.S. economy recover from the Great Depression.

2. the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.

   Over the years, as the incidence of cancer increased, the infrastructure of the hospital was developed to accommodate the new cases.

   Synonyms:

   support, foundation, basis

3. the military installations of a country.

   We could do much with just a fraction of the billions spent to maintain our robust overseas infrastructure.

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infrastructure British  

/ ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌktʃə /

noun

1. the basic structure of an organization, system, etc

2. the stock of fixed capital equipment in a country, including factories, roads, schools, etc, considered as a determinant of economic growth

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• infrastructural
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of infrastructure

First recorded in 1925–30; infra + structure

Explanation

The infrastructure is the basic foundation or underlying framework of an organization or system. In your house, the infrastructure is the system of beams, weight-bearing walls and the foundation that keeps it standing. Infrastructure often refers to the equipment and structures required by the military or by a country or region. Roads, bridges, and school buildings are part of our nation's infrastructure, and are necessary for the continued growth of our communities. This word was formed as a compound in English, using the prefix infra- "below, underneath."

Example Sentences

In March 2023, a skeptical Chakrabarti was persuaded to meet Cipriano, who was working for Halmar, the U.S. subsidiary of an Italian infrastructure giant, and had hired engineers and architects to develop a plan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

More AI companies are expected to follow soon, since the infrastructure they’re building is extraordinarily expensive, and the stock market offers a key funding advantage.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

The plan, which sets out how new military equipment and infrastructure will be paid for over the next decade, was due last autumn but has been repeatedly delayed.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Shoppers who use AI bots powered by OpenAI to buy products will have their purchases secured by Visa’s network, security infrastructure and credentialing capabilities, the payments company said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

The scale of their constructions and their agriculture infrastructure required sophisticated civic and social organization.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• base
• framework