What does infantile mean?
Infantile is an adjective describing something connected with infants or early childhood. It can refer literally to development, characteristics, or conditions associated with infancy, as in discussions of infantile development or infantile amnesia. More commonly in everyday speech, it criticizes behavior as childish, immature, or excessively dependent on trivial or emotional appeals. The word generally carries a negative or dismissive connotation when applied to adults, although its meaning can be neutral in specialist contexts. Its history links it closely to infant and infancy: all belong to the same Latin family, with infantile ultimately meaning “of or relating to an infant.” The distinction between the literal and figurative senses is important, since a term can be descriptive of a child’s development while also functioning as a judgment about grown-up conduct.
adjectiveRelating to infants or the period of early childhood; often used of behavior or traits considered childish, immature, or appropriate only to a very young child.
- Relating to infants, early childhood, or the characteristics of that period.
- Behaving in a childish, immature, or excessively sentimental way.
"The negotiation collapsed into an infantile dispute over who had made the first move."
"Despite his infantile attempt to change the subject, the witness continued answering the question."
"The study examined infantile development, including the emergence of early speech and recognition."
Infantile belongs to the same Latin family as infant and infancy—and, like infancy, it can describe both a stage of life and a way of behaving.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does infantile come from?
First attested in English in the early 17th century, infantile came through French infantile from Latin infantilis, an adjective meaning “of or relating to an infant.” Latin infantilis was derived from infans, meaning “infant” or “young child.” The same root also underlies related English words such as infant, infancy, and infanticide.
How infantile is actually used
In general use, the word is often mildly negative or dismissive when it describes adult behavior, suggesting childishness or emotional immaturity. In developmental, educational, or medical contexts, it can be a neutral technical term.