infant

1 of 2

noun

in·​fant ˈin-fənt How to pronounce infant (audio)
Synonyms of infantnext
1
: a child in the first period of life
2
: a person who is not of full age : minor

infant

2 of 2

adjective

1
: intended for young children
2
: being in an early stage of development
3
: of, relating to, or being in infancy

Synonyms

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of infant in a Sentence

Noun a study of health problems that can affect young infants He showed us a picture of his infant daughter. Adjective She is an infant teacher.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Their eldest, Nevada Alexander, died of infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 10 weeks old. — Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025 Prior to this developmental point, infants interestingly have no sense of self and perceive themselves as part of their caregiver. — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Doing so would not only support infant American industries that could not compete globally but would also ensure stable and predictable domestic demand. — Aroop Mukharji, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2025 Mini Winnie is yet another infant chimp that needs the care of her foster mother. — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infant

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English enfaunt, from Anglo-French enfant, from Latin infant-, infans, from infant-, infans, adjective, incapable of speech, young, from in- + fant-, fans, present participle of fari to speak — more at ban entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infant was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing infant

Browse Nearby Words

infant
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Cite this Entry

“Infant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infant. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

infant

noun
in·​fant
ˈin-fənt
: a child in the first period of life
infant adjective

Medical Definition

infant

noun
in·​fant ˈin-fənt How to pronounce infant (audio)
1
a
: a child in the first year of life : baby
b
: a child several years of age
2
: a person who is not of full age : minor
infant adjective

Legal Definition

infant

noun
in·​fant ˈin-fənt How to pronounce infant (audio)
: a person who is not of the age of majority : minor compare adult

More from Merriam-Webster on infant

Nglish: Translation of infant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about infant

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