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

According to the military official, troops from the Golani infantry brigade had set up an ambush along a road in the early hours of March 23, opening fire in two instances on vehicles arriving in the area. —Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025

The new standards could impact the thousands of women serving in the Army's artillery, armor, and infantry branches. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025

Secretary Hegseth, who as an infantry officer saw combat during his 2005-2006 deployment to Iraq and later served at a training center in Kabul, Afghanistan, has lobbied for pardoning war crimes committed by U.S. troops. —Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025

Once enemy defenses are weakened, Ukrainian infantry can advance and eliminate any remaining opposition, securing the area. —Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

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.