infrastructure

noun

in·fra·struc·ture ˈin-frə-ˌstrək-chər

-(ˌ)frä-

Synonyms of infrastructure next

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

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

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

: 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.

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 Reflecting on this, there are several areas high-impact areas where retail leadership can make a significant impact: The Recycling Conundrum: A Reality Check While many are keen to recycle, the truth is that global recycling infrastructure is often inadequate. —

Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Her father, the late C.W. McGrath, through successful earthwork and development companies, was responsible for the grading and general engineering work that underpins much local infrastructure from roadways to whole subdivisions. —

Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023 Boebert was able to secure two bills in Republicans’ marquee energy legislation that were meant to extend the length of drilling permits and shorten the length of time that a party can file a petition for judicial review of a major infrastructure project. —

Nancy Vu, Washington Examiner, 29 Nov. 2023 Their brothers Brian and Christopher serve as executive directors of the family’s infrastructure arm NWS Holdings. —

Shawna Kwan, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2023 The nation salutes their resilience and remains grateful to them for building critical infrastructure, even at great personal risk, far away from their homes. —

David Chiu, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 Russia has also used drone technology in the conflict, striking military targets and infrastructure assets such as grain facilities. —

Greg Norman, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2023 According to the measure’s sponsors, residential parking infrastructure costs developers between $70,000 and $100,000 per space. —

Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023 Even knowing that the next eruption could happen in one of several places on the peninsula, including somewhere a little closer to urban infrastructure, this development still shocked scientists. —

WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infrastructure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.