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 of infrastructure

• 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

Russia is increasing the frequency of combined missile and drone strikes to destroy Ukrainian infrastructure, analysts say. — Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

In addition, the Global Connectivity Index ranks the country’s digital infrastructure as the second-best in Africa and over 46 percent of Moroccan electricity comes from renewables. — Panorama Media Ltd, Miami Herald, 19 July 2026

This capability could be especially valuable for developing countries and organizations that lack the resources or infrastructure to manufacture advanced quantum processors domestically. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026

While the river is no longer the primary threat, aging stormwater infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with increasingly intense rainfall, so the community keeps having to recover. — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

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