infantry
noun
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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
Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Prevost also commanded an infantry landing craft, and after 15 months overseas, attained the rank of lieutenant junior grade, according to a note on the Pentagon website published soon after Leo’s election.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
But the weather cleared, and on June 6, just after midnight, thousands of aircraft crossed the English Channel and dropped some 18,000 paratroopers to support the infantry assault to come later that day.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
Above ground, robots are replacing even the most basic of infantry tasks.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Infantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infantry. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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infantry
noun
from early French infanterie and early Italian infanteria, both meaning "infantry," from early Italian infante "infant, boy, foot soldier," from Latin infans "infant"
