infix

verb in·fix \ ˈin-ˌfiks , in-ˈfiks \

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Examples: infix in a Sentence

Editor's Note: What is an infix?

Definition of infix

infixed; infixing; infixes

transitive verb

1 : to fasten or fix by piercing or thrusting in

2 : to impress firmly in the consciousness or disposition

3 : to insert (a sound or letter) as an infix

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infixation

play \ˌin-(ˌ)fik-ˈsā-shən\ noun

infix was our Word of the Day on 03/27/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of infix in a Sentence

a puzzling detail that had been infixed in the detective's mind for over a decade
a football coach celebrated for infixing in his players an all-consuming will to win

Origin and Etymology of infix

Latin infixus, past participle of infigere, from in- + figere to fasten — more at fix

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1502

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

infix Synonyms

Synonyms

breed, enroot, implant, inculcate, inseminate, instill, plant, sow;

Related Words

drive, hammer, pound;

embed (also imbed), entrench (also intrench), fix, lodge, root;

imbue, infuse, ingrain (also engrain), inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse;

Synonym Discussion of infix

implant, inculcate, instill, inseminate, infix mean to introduce into the mind. implant implies teaching that makes for permanence of what is taught.

- implanted a love of reading in her students

inculcate implies persistent or repeated efforts to impress on the mind.

- tried to inculcate in him high moral standards

instill stresses gradual, gentle imparting of knowledge over a long period of time.

- instill traditional values in your children

inseminate applies to a sowing of ideas in many minds so that they spread through a class or nation.

- inseminated an unquestioning faith in technology

infix stresses firmly inculcating a habit of thought.

- infixed a chronic cynicism

infix

noun in·fix \ ˈin-ˌfiks \

Definition of infix

: a derivational or inflectional affix appearing in the body of a word (such as Sanskrit -n- in vindami "I know" as contrasted with vid "to know")

Recent Examples of infix from the Web

The path of the infix is uncertain, but linguist Joshua Viau has found similar examples in 1960s radio broadcasts and early 1970s drug slang.

— mark peters, BostonGlobe.com, "Pig Latin is alive and ellway," 11 Mar. 2018

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

What is an infix?

Like prefixes and suffixes, infixes are part of the general class of affixes ("sounds or letters attached to or inserted within a word to produce a derivative word or an inflectional form"). Infixes are relatively rare in English, but you can find them in the plural forms of some words. For example, cupful, spoonful, and passerby can be pluralized as cupsful, spoonsful, and passersby, using "s" as an infix. Another example is the insertion of an (often offensive) intensifier into a word, as in fan-freakin'-tastic. Such whole-word insertions are sometimes called infixes, though this phenomenon is more traditionally known as tmesis.