infancy
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English infancie, from Latin īnfantia (“infancy, early childhood; childishness”), equivalent to infant + -cy.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
infancy (countable and uncountable, plural infancies)
- The earliest period of childhood (crawling rather than walking).
- The state of being an infant.
- (figurative) An early stage in the development of anything.
- Space tourism is still in its infancy.
- 1941 May, Voyageur, “The Clogher Valley Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 195:
- It was in November, 1932, in an endeavour to reduce working costs, that the first diesel railcar was introduced, and it was a far-sighted move on the part of Mr. D. N. McClure, for diesel propulsion on railways was then more or less in its infancy.
- (law) The state of being a minor.
Synonyms edit
(earliest period of childhood):
(state of being an infant):
(state of being a minor):
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
earliest period of childhood
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state of being an infant
early state in development
law: state of being minor
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Middle English edit
Noun edit
infancy
- Alternative form of infancie