infantry

noun

in·​fan·​try ˈin-fən-trē 

plural infantries

1

a

: soldiers trained, armed, and equipped to fight on foot

b

: a branch of an army composed of these soldiers

2

: an infantry regiment or division

Did you know?

The Italian word fante (from Latin infans, “infant, child”) originally meant “child,” later “youth, boy,” and then “servant.” In the 14th century, fante also took on the sense “foot soldier.” In Renaissance times, the fanteria, foot soldiers collectively, became a significant branch of arms, and the Italian word infanteria, was borrowed into English in the 1500s.

Examples of infantry in a Sentence

He joined the infantry after leaving school.

Recent Examples on the Web

If a conflict breaks out, infantry in Guam would likely have to fight their way back to Japan against a foe who can challenge American air and sea superiority. —Martin Fackler, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

In releasing its annual assessment of global military capabilities, the think tank said Russian forces lost around 1,400 main battle tanks (MBTs) in 2024, along with other high losses of infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and armored personnel carriers (APCs). —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025

Like an infantry squad in such a film, each player has a hook. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2025

His battalion has almost no reserves, forcing infantry units to hold frontline positions for weeks at a time. —Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French infanterie, from Old Italian infanteria, from infante boy, foot soldier, from Latin infant-, infans

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

infantry

noun

in·​fan·​try ˈin-fən-trē 

plural infantries

: a branch of an army made up of soldiers trained, armed, and equipped to fight on foot

Etymology

from early French infanterie and early Italian infanteria, both meaning "infantry," from early Italian infante "infant, boy, foot soldier," from Latin infans "infant"

Word Origin

In the Middle Ages in France, a young soldier from a good family who was not yet a knight was called enfant, which means "child." Likewise, in Italy a soldier moving on foot behind a knight riding a horse was an infante. Later, Italian foot soldiers as a group became known as infanteria, which was borrowed into French as infanterie and into English as infantry.