1
: of or relating to infants or infancy
2
: suitable to or characteristic of an infant
especially : very immature
infantile humor
infantility noun

Examples of infantile in a Sentence

the infantile humor that teenage boys are justly famous for
Recent Examples on the Web One striking incident involves an impromptu dinner party, in which Mia and Aaryan must prepare to host their parents, friends and acquaintances while balancing Virginia’s increasingly infantile behavior. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Since humans evolved to care for our young, research suggests we’re drawn to infantile features in other animals, like big eyes, round cheeks and stubby limbs. Hannah Richter, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2024 William was diagnosed at three months with infantile spasms, a rare seizure disorder which in William's case altered his development physically and cognitively. Fred C. Trump Iii, TIME, 24 July 2024 And yet Hathaway’s most recent look–including those mesh slip-ons, a baggy skirt, a waistcoat, a grandma-ish sunhat and a Birkin customized with an infantile horse charm–is a return to form. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for infantile 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infantile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infantile was in 1696

Dictionary Entries Near infantile

Cite this Entry

“Infantile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infantile. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

infantile

adjective
in·​fan·​tile ˈin-fən-ˌtīl How to pronounce infantile (audio)
-tᵊl,
-ˌtēl
: of, relating to, or resembling infants or infancy
also : childish

Medical Definition

infantile

adjective
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in infants or infancy
infantile eczema
2
: suitable to or characteristic of an infant
especially : very immature

More from Merriam-Webster on infantile

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