infancy

noun

Save Word

in·fan·cy | \ ˈin-fən(t)-sē

\

plural infancies

Definition of infancy

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 The search for the next Pac-12 commissioner is still in its infancy, but things are going to start cranking up sooner rather than later. — Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, "It’s still early in the Pac-12 commissioner search, but a decision is expected sooner than later," 13 Feb. 2021 The theory posits that in its infancy, our universe went through a period of highly rapid expansion, much faster than in the standard Big Bang model. — Alan Lightman, The Atlantic, "‘It Seems That I Know How the Universe Originated’," 8 Feb. 2021 When a novel coronavirus began its murderous run a little more than a year ago, the use of genetic sequencing as a tool for tracking infectious disease outbreaks was in its infancy. — Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, "By tracking coronavirus mutations, scientists aim to forecast the pandemic’s future," 7 Feb. 2021 When World War II ended 75 years ago, Social Security was in its infancy and Medicare didn’t exist. — Allan Sloan, ProPublica, "Donald Trump Built a National Debt So Big (Even Before the Pandemic) That It’ll Weigh Down the Economy for Years," 19 Jan. 2021 But Hodges said the 5G market is in its infancy and will need much more buildout to reach its potential. — Dallas News, "With a public listing and a $14 million acquisition, Dallas’ COMSovereign is making big bid on 5G tech," 1 Feb. 2021 Until this help arrives, this scientific field will remain in its infancy. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, "Giant Galaxies from the Universe’s Childhood Challenge Cosmic Origin Stories," 27 Jan. 2021 The region’s vaccine rollout is still in its infancy. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout boosted by more doses and a second mass immunization site," 21 Jan. 2021 In Minnesota, observers say that efforts to address the technology's use at the state level are still in their infancy. — Libor Jany, Star Tribune, "Proposed ban on use of facial recognition technology by police advances in Minneapolis," 21 Jan. 2021

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about infancy

Dictionary Entries near infancy

infamous crime

infamous crime against nature

Statistics for infancy

Last Updated

20 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Infancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infancy. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for infancy

infancy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of infancy

: 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

See the full definition for infancy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

infancy

noun

in·fan·cy | \ ˈin-fən-sē

\

plural infancies

Kids Definition of infancy

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.

infancy

noun

in·fan·cy | \ ˈin-fən-sē

\

plural infancies

Medical Definition of infancy

1 : early childhood

2 : the legal status of an infant

Keep scrolling for more

infancy

noun

in·fan·cy | \ ˈin-fən-sē

\

plural infancies

Legal Definition of infancy

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

Keep scrolling for more