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

Example Sentences

However, there will also be a boost to the economy from Germany’s planned fiscal stimulus, which promises to invest more than $1 trillion in defense and infrastructure projects.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Our ongoing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure reflects Microsoft’s long‑term confidence in Singapore as a global digital leader,” said Smith.

From The Wall Street Journal

Much depends on how long the Strait of Hormuz is closed to oil and gas shipments and the extent of damage to energy infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal

The proposal also urges restoring “normal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz and safeguarding civilian sites and critical infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, as well as peaceful nuclear infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal

But metals businesses like it, along with fertilizer and chemical enterprises, are now competitive global players because Gulf governments invested in hard and soft infrastructure adjacent to the oil business.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• base
• framework