The family were forced to flee with their infant son.
...the infant mortality rate in Britain.
Synonyms: baby, child, babe, toddler More Synonyms of infant
2. countable noun [usually plural]
Infants are children between the ages of five and seven, who go to an infant school.
[British]
You use the infants to refer to a school or class for such children.
You've been my best friend ever since we started in the infants.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Infant means designed especially for very young children.
...an infant carrier in the back of a car.
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
An infant organization or system is new and has not developed very much.
The infant company was based in Germany.
...the infant health service.
Synonyms: early, new, developing, young More Synonyms of infant
infant in British English
(ˈɪnfənt)
noun
1.
a child at the earliest stage of its life; baby
2. law another word for minor (sense 10)
3. British
a young schoolchild, usually under the age of seven
4.
a person who is beginning or inexperienced in an activity
5. (modifier)
a.
of or relating to young children or infancy
b.
designed or intended for young children
adjective
6.
in an early stage of development; nascent
an infant science or industry
7. law
of or relating to the legal status of infancy
Derived forms
infanthood (ˈinfantˌhood)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Latin infāns, literally: speechless, from in-1 + fārī to speak
infant in American English
(ˈɪnfənt)
noun
1.
a very young child; baby
2.
a person in the state of legal infancy; minor
adjective
3.
of or for infants or infancy
4.
in a very early stage
Word origin
ME infaunt < OFr enfant < L infans (gen. infantis), child < adj., not yet speaking < in-, not + fans, prp. of fari, to speak: see fame
Examples of 'infant' in a sentence
infant
She now has a partner and an infant daughter.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He claimed that his infant son became unwell after being detained and left without food, despite pleas for his release into the care of other family members.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One snapshot showed an endangered mountain gorilla carrying an infant on her back.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It had a pernicious fixation on their infant daughter.
Christianity Today (2000)
They are already banned from advertising formula for younger infants.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
At least four out of five infants die before they get help.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Within an hour she received a call saying the infant had gone into a potentially critical seizure.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Two others miscarried and another gave birth to an infant with serious health defects.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The next big step came via the infant chemical industry.
Judith Flanders Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain (2006)
Foreign assistants in infant and junior schools could alter this.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It was reported that the abandoned infants were aged between two and five.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Most midwives recommended using the oils to combat dry skin in very young infants.
The Sun (2015)
The women were immersed in conversation, while the father and his infant son amused one another.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
One winter, he was out pushing his infant daughter around when the pram collapsed.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Second, our ports need huge investment to become hubs for the infant industry.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They now rest forlorn in the local infants' school.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In the same way, the war had called attention to the great importance of preserving and protecting infant life.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The number of unlawfully large classes for infants has more than doubled in two years, according to government figures released yesterday.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
School telephone lines ran hot with calls from anxious parents: where would their infants be going in September?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Quotations
At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's armsWilliam ShakespeareAs You Like It
In other languages
infant
British English: infant NOUN
An infant is a baby or very young child.
...young mums with infants in prams.
American English: infant
Brazilian Portuguese: bebê
Chinese: 婴儿/幼儿
European Spanish: niño (pequeño)
French: tout-petit
German: Säugling
Italian: bambino piccolo
Japanese: 幼児
Korean: 유아
European Portuguese: bebé
Latin American Spanish: niño (pequeño)
All related terms of 'infant'
infant class
(in England and Wales ) a class at infant school for young schoolchildren between the ages of 5 and 7
infant school
In Britain , an infant school is a school for children between the ages of five and seven .
infant carrier
a kind of sling or rucksack used to carry small babies either on one's chest or one's back
infant formula
Formula is a powder which you mix with water to make artificial milk for babies .
infant prodigy
an exceptionally talented child
infant education
(in England and Wales ) education provided for children at infant schools
infant mortality
deaths among infants
infant mortality rate
the number of infant deaths in a given period
infant welfare clinic
a medical facility that specializes in the health and well-being of young babies
the infants
(in England and Wales ) a school for children aged between 5 and 7
sudden infant death syndrome
the sudden death, of unknown cause, of an apparently healthy infant , usually during sleep
cot death
Cot death is the sudden death of a baby while it is asleep , although the baby had not previously been ill .
crib death
Crib death is the sudden death of a baby while it is asleep , although the baby had not previously been ill .
Chinese translation of 'infant'
infant
(ˈɪnfənt)
n(c)
(= baby) 婴(嬰)儿(兒) (yīng'ér) (个(個), gè)
(= young child) 幼儿(兒) (yòu'ér) (个(個), gè)
cpd
[food, seat]婴(嬰)儿(兒) (yīng'ér) (个(個), gè)
[son, daughter]年幼 (niányòu)
(noun)
Definition
a very young child
young mums with infants in prams
Synonyms
baby
We just had a baby.
child
This film is not suitable for children.
babe
innocent as newborn babes
toddler
tot
The library was full of tots today.
wean (Scottish)
little one
bairn (Scottish, NorthernEngland)
suckling
newborn child
babe in arms
sprog (slang)
munchkin (informal, mainly US)
neonate
rug rat (slang)
littlie (Australian, informal)
ankle-biter (Australian, slang)
tacker (Australian, slang)
(adjective)
Definition
in an early stage of development
The infant company was based in Germany.
Synonyms
early
new
developing
young
I was still too young to understand what was going on.
growing
initial
The initial reaction has been excellent.
dawning
fledgling
advice he gave to fledgling writers
newborn
immature
The birds were in immature plumage.
embryonic
his embryonic managerial career
emergent
an emergent nationalist movement
nascent
The nascent country was still nervous about threats from beyond its borders.
unfledged
new-hatched, unfledged courage
Quotation
At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms [William Shakespeare – As You Like It]