infrastructure

American  

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

noun

infrastructures plural

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• infrastructures
  plural

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

Infrastructure is poor, electricity is sporadic and water is scarce.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Infrastructure and onshoring projects require construction equipment, and United Rentals is the largest equipment rental business in the market.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

The city of Pacifica had been on the shortlist for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, managed through FEMA.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

Jay Hatfield, chief investment officer at Infrastructure Capital Advisors, expects excess production by the group above levels prior to the war to “quickly make up shortfalls” in crude stocks.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026

That office promulgated first a Green Paper and then, after further hearings, a White Paper, on "Intellectual Property and the National Information Infrastructure."

From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James

Related Words

• base
• framework