infancy

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noun in·fan·cy \ ˈin-fən(t)-sē \

Definition of infancy

plural infancies

1 :early childhood

2 :a beginning or early period of existence

3 :the legal status of an infant

See infancy defined for English-language learners

See infancy defined for kids

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 of infancy from the Web

The program is still in its infancy and expects to make strides in its second season of play.

— adam turer, Cincinnati.com, "Small college teams hungry for 2017 season to begin," 29 Aug. 2017
The organization's programs are intended to provide an all-encompassing range of services for hundreds of individuals from infancy to adulthood.

— sergio carmona, Jewish Journal, "American Friends of Shalva opens Southeast Region office," 25 Aug. 2017
Twenty-five years ago, the internet was in its infancy (and expensive!), and the Miami Herald and other media companies weren’t online yet.

— nancy dahlberg, miamiherald, "We’re all teched up if the Big One strikes," 22 Aug. 2017
The nuclear program, even in its infancy, gave North Korea an international clout far bigger than its stagnating economy and diplomatic isolation would normally afford.

— adam taylor, Washington Post, "What we know about North Korea’s quest for nuclear weapons," 9 Aug. 2017
But the ice-cream industry, still in its infancy, demanded even more for the boys overseas: not just calories, but comfort.

— matt siegel, The Atlantic, "How Ice Cream Helped America at War," 6 Aug. 2017
No one knows what effect the drug will have in adults with the genetic condition, which often begins in infancy when motor functions are still forming.

— julie appleby, Kaiser Health News, "Denial, Appeal, Approval … An Adult’s Thorny Path To Spinraza Coverage," 2 Aug. 2017
But for now, Young describes the field of fish medicine as being in its infancy.

— maya wei-haas, Smithsonian, "This Is Why Taking Fish Medicine Is Truly a Bad Idea," 30 July 2017
In the 1990s, when VR was still in its infancy, high latency was common.

— The Economist, "Amusement parksVirtual reality gives old fairground rides new purpose," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'infancy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of infancy

14th century

INFANCY Defined for English Language Learners

infancy

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noun

Definition of infancy for English Language Learners

: the first part of a child's life : the time in your life when you are a baby
: a beginning : an early stage of development

INFANCY Defined for Kids

infancy

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noun in·fan·cy \ ˈin-fən-sē \

Definition of infancy for Students

plural infancies

1 :the first stage of a child's life :early childhood

2 :a beginning or early period of existence

The program is in its infancy.

Medical Dictionary

infancy

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noun in·fan·cy \ ˈin-fən-sē \

medical Definition of infancy

plural infancies

1 :early childhood

2 :the legal status of an infant

Law Dictionary

infancy

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noun in·fan·cy \ ˈin-fən-sē \

legal Definition of infancy

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