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infant

infant

411 1.0
A very young child usually under one year who is not yet walking or talking
  • noun
  • /ˈɪnfənt/
translation icon : bebé
  • During the first few months, an infant requires frequent feeding and sleep.
  • month-old infants
  • age of infants
  • infants are born

So I said, well, infants can't and don't consent.

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Examples

  • The study began as a perinatal health survey that enrolled all live infants born at three maternity hospitals.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Mothers who receive a CF diagnosis for their infant are obviously shocked and anxious.

    Academic text (2011)
  • As an infant enters the world, it begins to bond with its parents.

  • Bonding may be affected, especially when the infant has been frequently hospitalized.

    Academic text (2011)
  • First and foremost is safety and child-friendliness: infants using the experimental device must be both secure and comfortable.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Imitation is easily observable in infants, who, when exposed to an observable action, begin to imitate the action.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The infant giggled when her mother played peek-a-boo.

  • Doctors recommend that infants should be given vaccines at an early age.

Synonyms

baby
vsinfant
1.0

A very young child or animal that cannot walk and cannot talk yet

is limited to very young humans under one year not yet walking or talking
babe
vsinfant
51 1.0

A very young child who cannot yet walk or talk

is especially for children under one year who are not yet walking or talking
bub
vsinfant
  • UK
1 9.8

A baby or very young child

is the neutral term usually used in general contexts
babby
vsinfant
  • UK
9.9

A very young child such as a newborn

is the standard neutral term rather than dialectal or playful
infante
vsinfant
  • Archaic
9.9

A very young child in old language

is the modern standard term for children under one year

Antonyms

1.0

A person who is fully grown and no longer a child

Compounds

infant mortality
  • Specialized
20 4.1

The number of babies who die before their first birthday in a group of people

infant mortality rate
  • Specialized
7 3.7

Number of babies who die before their first birthday per 1,000 live births

infant death
  • Specialized
5 5.7

A baby who seemed healthy dies suddenly, often during sleep

2 3.7

The sudden death of a baby under one year while sleeping, with no known cause

The process of giving food and drink to a baby

A baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy

A baby left without care whose parents are unknown

1 3.9

A baby born weighing less than 5.5 pounds or 2,500 grams

preterm infant
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A baby who is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy

term infant
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A baby born at 37 to 42 weeks of pregnancy

A baby with very weak muscles that make the body seem limp

A baby who shows signs of life after birth, like breathing or a heartbeat

3.9

An emotional tie between a mother and her baby that starts after birth

2.8

A school for children aged five to seven, the first part of primary school

infant deathrate
  • Specialized
4.4

The number of babies who die before their first birthday for every 1,000 live births

postmature infant
  • Specialized
7.9

A baby who is born after 42 weeks in the womb and may need special care

SGA infant
  • Specialized
7.6

A newborn much smaller and lighter than other babies born at the same stage of pregnancy

A baby who is much smaller and lighter than usual for their pregnancy length

stillborn infant
  • Specialized
7.8

A baby born with no signs of life

How Young

adolescent
69 3.5
child
1.0
toddler
171 1.0
infant
411 1.0
newborn
142 1.0

Surface Forms

infant singular
infants plural

Etymology

The word infant comes from the Latin infans, made of in- 'not' and fari 'to speak'. So an infant was originally a 'not-speaking' person, which is why the word now means a very young child who has not yet started to talk.