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

The force would include infantry and armor, Pentagon officials told The Wall Street Journal, and would likely deploy within striking distance of Iran and its crucial oil export hub of Kharg Island. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026

During the most intense barrages, the Russians fired tens of thousands of rounds a day, wearing down Ukraine’s defensive lines and clearing the way for Russian infantry. —Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026

Photos, documents and footage tell the harrowing story of the US invasion of Vietnam, and exhibits include US armoured vehicles, artillery and infantry weapons. —Tamara Hinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026

But the forces being deployed are light infantry, units that lack the large armored vehicles, including tanks, that typically underpin sustained ground offensives. —Chris Boccia, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026

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.