infant

IN-funt/ˈɪn.fənt/

7 meanings of infant

1
nouncountable
A baby in its first year or two of life, who needs almost constant care.
Like a baby bird that depends on its parents for everything.
The infant slept soundly in her mother's arms.
An infant cannot walk or talk yet and needs feeding every few hours.
Similarbaby
Oppositeadult
Note
2
nouncountable
A person who is not yet old enough to be treated as an adult under the law.
Like a young player who needs a parent to sign forms for them.
The court appointed a guardian to manage the infant's money.
As an infant under the law, she could not sign the contract by herself.
Similarminor
Oppositeadult
Note
3
adjectivefiguratively
In a very early stage, just starting to grow or develop and still small.
Like a tiny plant that has only just come up through the ground.
The infant company had only three workers when it began.
We crossed the river while it was still an infant stream high in the hills.
Similarfledgling, nascent, embryonic, budding, emerging
Oppositemature, established, developed
Note
4
nounCommonwealthIrelandUKcountable
In the UK, a young schoolchild in the first years of primary school.
Like the youngest children at school, only just learning to read.
The infants line up in the playground before their first lesson.
Her youngest is an infant at the village school this year.
Note
5
adjectiveCommonwealthIrelandUK
Having to do with the first years of primary school in the UK.
She teaches the infant classes at a small village school.
The infant playground has softer ground for the little ones.
Note

Less common meanings

6
nounobsolete
A young person from a noble or wealthy family.
Note
7
verbobsolete
To give birth to a child, or to bring something into being.
Like a tree that brings forth new fruit each season.
The villagers hoped the queen would infant an heir before winter.
Some believed the cursed land could infant nothing but weeds.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin infans, meaning 'not able to speak', from in- ('not') plus a form of the verb for ('to speak'). It came into English through Middle English.