infancy
[noun]
Synonyms: beginnings, cradle, dawn, inception, origins, outset, start

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Antonyms: majority
Contrasted words: adulthood, maturity, old age, senescence, adultness, seniority
Related Words: childhood, immaturity, juvenility, nonage, juniority

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English Thesaurus: young, small/little, teenage, adolescent, juvenile, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

in‧fan‧cy /ˈɪnfənsi/ noun [uncountable]

1. the period of a child’s life before they can walk or talk
in infancy
In the past, many children died in infancy.

2. the time when something is just starting to be developed:
the infancy of radio broadcasting
Genetic engineering is still in its infancy.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

infancy
noun
ADJ. early The vaccination is given in early infancy.
VERB + INFANCY survive (beyond) Their first child did not survive infancy.
die in She died in infancy.
PREP. during/in ~ Deaths during infancy have fallen dramatically in the last hundred years. (figurative) The new company is still in its infancy.
from ~ from infancy to late childhood
since (sb's) ~ Since her infancy she has been a healthy baby.
throughout (sb's) ~ He was ill many times throughout his infancy.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

infancy
noun
BAD: Mr Fox had a very difficult infancy.
GOOD: Mr Fox had a very difficult childhood.

Usage Note:
Infancy (= the period when a child is very young) is used mainly in formal and technical styles: 'In those days, large numbers of children died in infancy.'
To refer to the period when someone is a child, use childhood : 'The old photographs brought back memories of my childhood.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

young not old:
a young man of about 22
My dad died when I was young.
There are excellent facilities for young children.
Young people are often unable to get jobs.
small/little a small child is very young. Little sounds more informal than small, and is used especially in spoken English:
They have two small children.
We used to go camping a lot when the kids were little.
teenage [only before noun] between the ages of 13 and 19:
a group of teenage boys
They have three teenage children.
adolescent especially written at the age when you change from being a child into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems that young people have at this age:
Sudden mood changes are common in adolescent girls.
adolescent behaviour
juvenile /ˈdʒuːvənaɪl $ -nəl, -naɪl/ [only before noun] formal connected with young people who commit crime:
juvenile crime
a special prison for juvenile offenders
juvenile deliquents (=young people who commit crimes)
youthful especially written seeming young, or typical of someone who is young – often used about someone who is no longer young:
a youthful 55 year old
youthful enthusiasm
Andrew still has a slim youthful look about him.
The photograph showed a youthful, smiling Rose.
junior connected with sports played by young people rather than adults:
the junior championships
the junior champion
childhood the time when you are a child, especially a young child:
I had a wonderful childhood in the country.
childhood illnesses
girlhood/boyhood the time when you are a young girl or boy:
The two men had been friends in boyhood.
the transition from girlhood to womanhood
youth the time when you are young, especially between about 15 and 25 when you are no longer a child:
He was a great sportsman in his youth.
She revisited all the places where she had spent her youth.
adolescence the time when you are changing from being a child into an adult – used especially when you are talking about the problems people have at this age:
During adolescence, boys are often lacking in self-confidence.
infancy formal the time when you are a baby:
In the past, many more babies died in infancy.
baby a very young child who has not yet learned to speak or walk:
I sat next to a woman holding a baby.
toddler a baby who has learned how to walk:
The playground has a special area for toddlers.
infant formal a baby or a very young child:
The disease is mainly found in infants.
little one spoken informal a baby, or a small child up to the age of about three:
How old is your little one?
litter a group of baby animals that are born at the same time to the same mother:
Our cat has just had a litter of six kittens.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲