infrastructure

noun

in·​fra·​struc·​ture ˈin-frə-ˌstrək-chər 

-(ˌ)frä-

1

: the system of public works of a country, state, or region

also : the resources (such as personnel, buildings, or equipment) required for an activity

2

: the underlying foundation or basic framework (as of a system or organization)

3

: the permanent installations required for military purposes

infrastructural

ˈin-frə-ˌstrək-chə-rəl  -ˌstrək-shrəl 

-(ˌ)frä-

adjective

Did you know?

Infra- means "below;" so the infrastructure is the "underlying structure" of a country and its economy, the fixed installations that it needs in order to function. These include roads, bridges, dams, the water and sewer systems, railways and subways, airports, and harbors. These are generally government-built and publicly owned. Some people also speak about such things as the intellectual infrastructure or the infrastructure of science research, but the meaning of such notions can be extremely vague.

Synonyms

• structure
• architecture
• framework

Examples of infrastructure in a Sentence

More money is needed to save the crumbling infrastructure of the nation's rural areas.

We need to spend more money on maintaining and repairing infrastructure.

Recent Examples on the Web

Konstantin Sokolov The Russian‑born American investor is involved in infrastructure and energy holdings. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025

Ciattarelli holds small leads on jobs, the economy, and taxes, while Sherrill is stronger on education, infrastructure, and health care—leading 50 percent to 35 percent on the latter. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

The two spent a significant amount of time at the park throughout their lives, overseeing the construction of the Ahwahnee, Badger Pass Ski Area, and other major infrastructure projects. —Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025

Amid the highest wildfire risk in history, Seneca aims to modernize firefighting infrastructure with advanced autonomous drone technology, AI, and computer vision. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for infrastructure

• macrostructure
• microstructure
• nanostructure
• superstructure
• ultrastructure
• restructure
• substructure
• structure

Kids Definition

infrastructure

noun

in·​fra·​struc·​ture ˈin-frə-ˌstrək-chər 

1

: the underlying foundation or basic framework (as of a system or organization)

2

: the system of public works of a country, state, or region

also : the resources (as people, buildings, or equipment) required for an activity