Infancy: meaning, definitions and examples

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infancy

[ ˈɪnfənsi ]

Noun

^{Context #1 | Noun}

early life stage

Infancy refers to the early stage of a person's life, typically from birth to around two years old. During infancy, individuals are highly dependent on others for their care and survival. This stage is characterized by rapid growth and development, both physically and cognitively.

Synonyms

babyhood, early childhood.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
infancy	This term is often used in formal or scientific contexts to refer to the early stage of a baby's life, typically from birth to one year old. It can also be used metaphorically to describe the early development stage of an idea or project. The study tracked the health of children from infancy to adolescence. The company is still in its infancy and has much room for growth.
babyhood	This word is usually used in casual or informal settings to describe the time when someone is a baby, generally focusing on the period from birth to around 2-3 years old. She doesn't remember much about her babyhood. Photos of her babyhood filled the family album.
early childhood	This term is commonly used in both everyday and educational contexts to describe the stage of life from birth to around eight years old. It generally focuses on the development, learning, and experiences of children during these years. Early childhood education is crucial for cognitive development. She spent her early childhood in a small village.

Word

Description / Examples

infancy

This term is often used in formal or scientific contexts to refer to the early stage of a baby's life, typically from birth to one year old. It can also be used metaphorically to describe the early development stage of an idea or project.

The study tracked the health of children from infancy to adolescence.
The company is still in its infancy and has much room for growth.

babyhood

This word is usually used in casual or informal settings to describe the time when someone is a baby, generally focusing on the period from birth to around 2-3 years old.

She doesn't remember much about her babyhood.
Photos of her babyhood filled the family album.

early childhood

This term is commonly used in both everyday and educational contexts to describe the stage of life from birth to around eight years old. It generally focuses on the development, learning, and experiences of children during these years.

Early childhood education is crucial for cognitive development.
She spent her early childhood in a small village.

Examples of usage

During infancy, babies rely on their caregivers for feeding and comfort.
Infancy is a critical period for brain development.
Infants begin to babble and make sounds during the early months of infancy.

Translations

Translations of the word "infancy" in other languages:

🇵🇹 infância

🇮🇳 शैशवावस्था

🇩🇪 Kindheit

🇮🇩 masa bayi

🇺🇦 дитинство

🇵🇱 niemowlęctwo

🇯🇵 幼児期 (ようじき)

🇫🇷 petite enfance

🇪🇸 infancia

🇹🇷 bebeklik

🇰🇷 유아기 (yua-gi)

🇸🇦 الطفولة المبكرة

🇨🇿 rané dětství

🇸🇰 rané detstvo

🇨🇳 婴儿期 (yīng'ér qī)

🇸🇮 zgodnje otroštvo

🇮🇸 frumbernska

🇰🇿 нәрестелік кезең

🇬🇪 დაბადების პერიოდი

🇦🇿 körpəlik

🇲🇽 infancia

Etymology

The word 'infancy' originated from the Latin word 'infantia', which means 'inability to speak'. This term was used in the late Middle English period to describe the early stage of a person's life. Over time, 'infancy' came to be associated with the period of early childhood characterized by dependency and rapid growth.

Word Frequency Rank

At #7,477 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.

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7474 yarn
7475 sincerely
7476 incorporating
7477 infancy
7478 orchestra
7479 vertically
7480 acoustic
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