infancy

noun in·fan·cy \ ˈin-fən(t)-sē \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

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

Besides, the Hawks rebuild is still in its infancy.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "2018 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: Mavs take forward at No. 5, controversial Duke guard | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 4 Apr. 2018
The president’s intentions are unclear, and perhaps in their infancy, but the use of National Guard troops on the border is not new and generates debate over legalities.

— bill lambrecht and kevin diaz, San Antonio Express-News, "Trump orders the military to patrol the border," 3 Apr. 2018
Education protects white women from losing their babies in infancy.

— peter coy, Bloomberg.com, "For Black Women, Education Is No Protection Against Infant Mortality," 2 Apr. 2018
That year, popular social media site Snapchat was still in its infancy, and Darian, who was a fan of Carnival Cruise Line voyages, signed up with the handle @CarnivalCruise.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "A 9-year-old took Carnival’s Snapchat handle. Six years later, here’s how it got it back | Miami Herald," 29 Mar. 2018
Beastie Boys helped power hip-hop into the mainstream when the genre was in its infancy.

— michael saponara, Billboard, "Beastie Boys' Mike D on Hip-Hop Today: 'I Never Thought Rappers Could Be the Lionel Richies of Their Day'," 26 Mar. 2018
Right now this translation tech is still in its infancy and primarily eases logistical complexities.

— david pierce, WIRED, "Soon, Talking to Strangers Will Be Even Easier," 25 Mar. 2018
Self-driving technology is still in its infancy, and fully autonomous vehicles aren’t expected to be commonplace for many years.

— tim higgins, WSJ, "Video Shows Moments Before Uber Robot Car Rammed Into Pedestrian," 21 Mar. 2018
Children who died in infancy were sometimes photographed in that state.

— arthur hart, idahostatesman, "Nameless photographers captured Idaho’s history on film | Idaho Statesman," 17 Mar. 2018

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

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

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

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

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