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

Franklin John Rock, the character created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, who first debuted in the 1959 DC issue Our Army at War as a WWII infantry soldier. —Justin Kroll, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2025

Annual production of new tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in Russia might total 1,100. —David Axe, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

An infantry unit in the same brigade endured three assaults in the first half of the day. —Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr. 2025

As women pushed to break new ground and advance into elite combat roles, such as the infantry officer corps and special forces, questions arose over whether women should be held to a different fitness standard to ensure the roles were accessible to them. —Chris Cameron, New York Times, 1 Apr. 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.