infancy

noun

in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən(t)-sē How to pronounce infancy (audio)
plural infancies
1
: early childhood
2
: a beginning or early period of existence
3
: the legal status of an infant

Examples of infancy in a Sentence

She was often sick during her infancy. a skill developed in infancy She has been a member of the church since its infancy.
Recent Examples on the Web Even in its infancy, there was something in New York graffiti that smacked of Business Art. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 However, the transition is still very much in its infancy. Carmen Ene, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 While unions have a long history in legacy print and broadcast newsrooms, the rise of union shops in digital media began in earnest around 2015 — when the Marshall Project was in its infancy. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Also showcased in the basement is a large twisted hunk of the Interstate 35W bridge, which collapsed into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in 2007, killing 13 people and injuring 145 others when many of today’s students were still in their infancy. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2024 But the movement to overturn the AI industry’s standard approach of scraping training data at will is still very much in its infancy. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2024 Currently, keystroke research is in its infancy but shows promise. Ulrich Boser, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The day has grown from its infancy, when awareness stretched to just a few cities. Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 17 Feb. 2024 When her case first hit the docket, #MeToo was in its infancy. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infancy.' 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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infancy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near infancy

Cite this Entry

“Infancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infancy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

infancy

noun
in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən-sē How to pronounce infancy (audio)
plural infancies
1
: early childhood
2
: a beginning or early period of existence

Medical Definition

infancy

noun
in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən-sē How to pronounce infancy (audio)
plural infancies
1
: early childhood
2
: the legal status of an infant

Legal Definition

infancy

noun
in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən-sē How to pronounce infancy (audio)
plural infancies
1
: the legal status of an infant : minority
2
: the affirmative defense of lacking legal capacity (as to make a contract or commit a crime) because of being too young and especially because one's age is below an age set by statute
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