light infantry

American  

noun

1. foot soldiers with lightweight weapons and minimal field equipment.

2. infantry units with a minimal number of crew-served weapons and other supporting equipment.

---

Etymology

Origin of light infantry

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Azerbaijan "had only targeted legitimate military targets," he said, and avoided using heavy weapons like tanks in favour of light infantry.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2023

It’s primarily designed for reconnaissance missions and has enough armor to protect against light infantry weapons, according to the French defense ministry.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2023

“He’s used to a different kind of lifestyle,” Powell replied, “and I’m not quite sure he would be up to being chased around the countryside by Army Rangers, Special Forces and light infantry units.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2021

In 2017, a woman was accepted into the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite light infantry unit under the Joint Special Operations Command.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2020

We huddled in the shadow of one of the half-completed breastworks, crouched in a ditch; and there situated, we watched the light infantry, alert with their danger, pass through to the outer fortifications.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson