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

• 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

They are future-proofing the club in all aspects, from the infrastructure to the number of people employed by the club.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

“While manufacturers have become more optimistic on infrastructure and defense investment promises, the Middle East war has dashed hopes of a broad-based rebound,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The billionaire’s pitch to Memphis is that he is building infrastructure that will benefit the city.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

That will include building new infrastructure like pipelines away from the Strait of Hormuz and stocking up on oil to put in storage.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Making Egypt pay, therefore, depended on keeping up the infrastructure and social institutions that had already existed for millennia, such as irrigation, flood control, and conscripted labor.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Related Words

• base
• framework