infancy

noun

in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən(t)-sē 

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

Hundreds of unexpectedly energetic objects have been discovered throughout the distant universe, possibly hinting that the cosmos was far more active during its infancy than astronomers once believed. —Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Part of the answer here is that the ISV market is in its infancy. —Fiona Roach Canning, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

So quantum computing is at its infancy, and along with that the infrastructure that will use the quantum computer. —Gianluca Dotti, Wired News, 5 Aug. 2025

But in the United States, loving cute objects has historically been written off as escapism at best and a worrying swing toward infancy at worst. —Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing infancy

• in one's infancy

Kids Definition

infancy

noun

in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən-sē 

plural infancies

1

: early childhood

2

: a beginning or early period of existence

Medical Definition

infancy

noun

in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən-sē 

plural infancies

1

: early childhood

2

: the legal status of an infant

Legal Definition

infancy

noun

in·​fan·​cy ˈin-fən-sē 

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