noun · 6 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.
/ˈɪnfənsi/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH1 N F AH0 N S IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The earliest period of childhood (crawling rather than walking).
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 state of being an infant.
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
3
noun
Meaning 3
An early stage in the development of anything.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable
Examples
Space tourism is still in its infancy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The state of being a minor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
the earliest state of immaturity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: babyhood
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: immaturity, immatureness
6
noun
Meaning 6
the early stage of growth or development
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: babyhood, early childhood
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: time of life
History
Etymology
From Middle English infancie, from Latin īnfantia (“infancy, early childhood; childishness”), equivalent to infant + -cy.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
ра́нно де́тство
(ránno détstvo)
— earliest period of childhood
Chinese Mandarin:
嬰兒期 /婴儿期
(yīng'érqī, yīng'érqí)
— earliest period of childhood
Chinese Mandarin:
幼兒期 /幼儿期
(yòu'érqī, yòu'érqí)
— earliest period of childhood
Chinese Mandarin:
襁褓期
— earliest period of childhood
Finnish:
vauvaikä
— earliest period of childhood
Finnish:
varhaislapsuus
— earliest period of childhood
German:
Säuglingsphase
— earliest period of childhood
German:
frühe Kindheit
— earliest period of childhood
Italian:
prima infanzia
— earliest period of childhood
Japanese:
乳児期
(nyūjiki)
— earliest period of childhood
Korean:
유아기
(yuagi)
— earliest period of childhood
Latin:
īnfantia
— earliest period of childhood
Middle English:
infancie
— earliest period of childhood
Polish:
niemowlęctwo
— earliest period of childhood
Russian:
младе́нчество
(mladénčestvo)
— earliest period of childhood
Russian:
ра́ннее де́тство
(ránneje détstvo)
— earliest period of childhood
Welsh:
babandod
— earliest period of childhood
Welsh:
mebyd
— earliest period of childhood
Chinese Mandarin:
嬰兒期 /婴儿期
(yīng'érqī)
— state of being an infant
Finnish:
lapsuus
— state of being an infant
Finnish:
vauvaikä
— state of being an infant
German:
frühe Kindheit
— state of being an infant
Northern Kurdish:
dergûşî
— state of being an infant
Latin:
īnfantia
— state of being an infant
Middle English:
infancie
— state of being an infant
Polish:
niemowlęctwo
— state of being an infant
Russian:
младе́нчество
(mladénčestvo)
— state of being an infant
Russian:
ра́ннее де́тство
(ránneje détstvo)
— state of being an infant
Tagalog:
kasanggulan
— state of being an infant
Welsh:
babandod
— state of being an infant
Welsh:
mabandod
— state of being an infant
Chinese Mandarin:
萌芽階段 /萌芽阶段
(méngyá jiēduàn)
— early state in development
Finnish:
alkuvaihe
— early state in development
German:
Anfangsphase
— early state in development
Northern Kurdish:
dergûşî
— early state in development
Polish:
stadium początkowe
— early state in development
Bulgarian:
непълноле́тие
(nepǎlnolétie)
— law: state of being minor
Chinese Mandarin:
未成年狀態 /未成年状态
(wèichéngnián zhuàngtài)
— law: state of being minor
Finnish:
alaikäisyys
— law: state of being minor
Persian:
صغیر
(saġir)
— law: state of being minor
Polish:
niepełnoletność
— law: state of being minor
Russian:
несовершенноле́тие
(nesoveršennolétije)
— law: state of being minor
