noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈbeɪbihʊd/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B EY1 B IY0 HH UH2 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The state or period of infancy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
the earliest state of immaturity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: infancy
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: immaturity, immatureness
3
noun
Meaning 3
the early stage of growth or development
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: infancy, early childhood
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: time of life
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhā- Proto-Germanic *bō-redup. Proto-Germanic *babô Proto-West Germanic *babō Old English *baba Middle English babe Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y Middle English baby English baby Proto-Indo-European *keyt-der. Proto-Germanic *haiduzder. Proto-West Germanic *-haiduder. Old English -hād Middle English -hede English -hood English babyhood From baby + -hood.
Across languages
Translations
13 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
幼兒期 /幼儿期
(yòu'érqī)
— state or period of infancy
Esperanto:
bebaĝo
— state or period of infancy
Finnish:
varhaislapsuus
— state or period of infancy
French:
enfance
— state or period of infancy
Icelandic:
frumbernska
— state or period of infancy
Icelandic:
vítvoðungsaldur
— state or period of infancy
Italian:
infanzia
— state or period of infancy
Polish:
niemowlęctwo
— state or period of infancy
Portuguese:
infância
— state or period of infancy
Romanian:
pruncie
— state or period of infancy
Russian:
младе́нчество
(mladénčestvo)
— state or period of infancy