Meanings
plural infancies
- countableuncountableThe state of being an infant.
- countablefigurativelyuncountableAn early stage in the development of anything.
Space tourism is still in its infancy.
1 more example
It was in November, 1932, in an endeavour to reduce working costs, that the first diesel railcar was introduced, and it was a far-sighted move on the part of Mr. D. N. McClure, for diesel propulsion on railways was then more or less in its infancy.
1941 May, Voyageur, “The Clogher Valley Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 195 - countableuncountablelawThe state of being a minor.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinīnfantia“infancy, early childhood; childishness”
- Middle Englishinfancie
- Englishinfancy
From Middle English infancie, from Latin īnfantia (“infancy, early childhood; childishness”), equivalent to infant + -cy.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian ра́нно де́тство, непълноле́тие
- ра́нно де́тство (ránno détstvo)earliest period of childhood
- непълноле́тие (nepălnolétie)law: state of being minor
Chinese Mandarin 嬰兒期 /婴儿期, 幼兒期 /幼儿期
- 嬰兒期 /婴儿期 (yīng'érqī, yīng'érqí)earliest period of childhood
- 幼兒期 /幼儿期 (yòu'érqī, yòu'érqí)earliest period of childhood
- 襁褓期earliest period of childhood
- 嬰兒期 /婴儿期 (yīng'érqī)state of being an infant
- 萌芽階段 /萌芽阶段 (méngyá jiēduàn)early state in development
- 未成年狀態 /未成年状态 (wèichéngnián zhuàngtài)law: state of being minor
Finnish vauvaikä, varhaislapsuus
- vauvaikäearliest period of childhood
- varhaislapsuusearliest period of childhood
- lapsuusstate of being an infant
- vauvaikästate of being an infant
- alkuvaiheearly state in development
- alaikäisyyslaw: state of being minor
German Säuglingsphase, frühe Kindheit
- Säuglingsphaseearliest period of childhood
- frühe Kindheitearliest period of childhood
- frühe Kindheitstate of being an infant
- Anfangsphaseearly state in development
Italian prima infanzia
- prima infanziaearliest period of childhood
Japanese 乳児期
- 乳児期 (nyūjiki)earliest period of childhood
Korean 유아기
- 유아기 (yuagi)earliest period of childhood
Latin īnfantia, īnfantia
- īnfantiaearliest period of childhood
- īnfantiastate of being an infant
Persian صغیر
- صغیر (saġir)law: state of being minor
Polish niemowlęctwo, niemowlęctwo
- niemowlęctwoearliest period of childhood
- niemowlęctwostate of being an infant
- stadium początkoweearly state in development
- niepełnoletnośćlaw: state of being minor
Russian младе́нчество, ра́ннее де́тство
- младе́нчество (mladénčestvo)earliest period of childhood
- ра́ннее де́тство (ránneje détstvo)earliest period of childhood
- младе́нчество (mladénčestvo)state of being an infant
- ра́ннее де́тство (ránneje détstvo)state of being an infant
- несовершенноле́тие (nesoveršennolétije)law: state of being minor
Tagalog kasanggulan
- kasanggulanstate of being an infant
Welsh babandod, mebyd
- babandodearliest period of childhood
- mebydearliest period of childhood
- babandodstate of being an infant
- mabandodstate of being an infant
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
infancy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infancy
“infancy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infancy. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “infancy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infancy.
Source: infancy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.