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

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, North Korean infantry have begun conducting mass assaults along the 250-square-mile salient Ukrainian troops carved out of Russia’s Kursk Oblast back in August. —David Axe, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024

Eleven years ago, the direct combat exclusion rule was lifted and by 2015, women began reporting to ground combat units, including infantry and special operations. —James Laporta, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024

The move in 2016 allowed women who qualified to serve in other combat arms fields like armor and infantry. —Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024

Loading your audio article Half of the amphibious warships the Navy uses to transport and land Marines — including many based in San Diego — are in poor condition, hurting the service’s ability to deploy infantry, the U.S. General Accountability Office says in a new report. —Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 9 Dec. 2024

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.