Word: Infant

Pronunciation

/ˈɪnfænt/

Definitions

• Noun: A very young child, especially one who has not yet begun to walk or talk. For example: “The mother was holding her sleeping infant in her arms.”
  • Also used formally to refer to a person who is not of full age or maturity (legally or socially), e.g., “In ancient Rome, male infants were considered citizens from birth.”

Phrases

• “Infant mortality rate” refers to the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1000 live births in a given region or period.
• “Infant school” is a school for children aged between four and seven years old.
• “Infant formula” is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants, usually prepared for bottle-feeding when breast milk is not available.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The pediatrician specializes in the care of infants and toddlers.”
• “She took her infant daughter to her first swimming lesson.”
• “The country has made significant strides in reducing its infant mortality rate.”

Synonyms

• Baby
• Newborn
• Toddler (for slightly older infants)
• Babe
• Little one
• Sprog (informal)
• Tot

Additional Notes

Infant can also be used as an adjective to describe something pertaining to infants or early childhood, such as “infant clothes” or “infant development.” However, it’s not commonly classified as an adjective in traditional part-of-speech listings.