Infancy
/ˈɪnfənsi/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe early period of a person's life, from birth until the age of two or three; the state of being a baby or a very young child.
/ˈɪnfənsi/
The state or period of being a baby or very young child.
The first few months of infancy are crucial for a baby's brain development.
💡 Simply: Imagine a tiny baby learning to smile and hold a bottle. Infancy is all about that early, precious time when someone is just starting to learn about everything!
👶 For kids: When you're a baby, that's your infancy! You're learning to walk and talk.
More Examples
She cherished the memories of her children's infancy.
The company is still in its infancy, with many challenges ahead.
How It's Used
"The study focuses on the cognitive development during infancy."
"The community experienced political turmoil in its infancy."
The early stage of development or existence of something; the beginning phase.
/ˈɪnfənsi/
The early stage of development or existence of something.
The project is still in its infancy, but shows great promise.
💡 Simply: Like a seed starting to sprout, infancy can also mean the very beginning of a project or idea. It's the time when things are new and just starting to grow.
👶 For kids: Something's infancy is when it's just starting, like a baby plant growing from a seed!
More Examples
The idea for the business was conceived in the infancy of the e-commerce boom.
The field of artificial intelligence is currently in its infancy.
How It's Used
"The internet, in its infancy, was a tool primarily used by academics."
"The company faced numerous challenges in its infancy."
Idioms & expressions
In its infancy
In its early stages of development or existence.
"The company is still in its infancy, but it is already showing a lot of promise."
From Late Latin *īnfantia* ('inability to speak'), from *īnfāns* ('infant'), from *in-* ('not') + *fāns*, present participle of *fārī* ('to speak').
The word 'infancy' has been used since the 14th century, initially referring to the state or condition of being a baby or very young child.
Memory tip
Think of a baby; their infancy is when they are tiny and learning about the world.