What does infantry mean?
Infantry denotes soldiers who fight on foot and, by extension, the military branch responsible for organized foot troops. The word can describe an individual unit, such as an infantry brigade or division, or the infantry as a whole. Although modern infantry personnel may travel and fight in tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters, and other mechanized systems, infantry remains the traditional designation for troops whose principal battlefield role is conducted on foot. The term is especially associated with the historical contrast between infantry and cavalry, in which foot soldiers fought without horses. Today, infantry units commonly include rifle companies, armored infantry formations, support weapons, and specialists. Its broad use as a collective military term is why phrases such as "the enemy infantry" can refer to many troops rather than one soldier.
nounSoldiers who fight on foot, especially the branch of an army organized around such troops. The term can refer collectively to foot soldiers or to the infantry as a military branch.
- Soldiers who fight on foot, especially as a branch of an army.
- A body of foot soldiers regarded collectively.
"The infantry advanced through the forest while the cavalry protected the flanks."
"The regiment of infantry was deployed to guard the mountain pass."
"Modern infantry relies on vehicles, aircraft, and satellite reconnaissance as well as soldiers on foot."
The plural infanteries is used for separate infantry formations or bodies of infantry; infantry is also commonly used in a collective sense without a plural.
"The two infanteries were deployed on opposite sides of the valley."
Infantry once depended on speed and endurance on foot, but modern infantry often fights in armored vehicles, helicopters, and mechanized formations.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does infantry come from?
The word entered English through French infanterie, which developed from Italian infanteria and a Medieval Latin term meaning foot soldiers. Its ultimate connection has been traced to Latin infant-, associated with youth, possibly reflecting an early practice in which young soldiers served on foot. Over time, the word became established as a military designation for troops fighting on foot, in contrast to cavalry.
Related word forms
How infantry is actually used
In modern military usage, infantry commonly denotes a branch or a body of soldiers organized into units. It is often used collectively, while the plural infanteries is used for distinct formations. Historically, it was contrasted with cavalry.
Easily confused with infantry
Infantry refers to foot soldiers collectively or as a military branch, whereas an infantryman is one individual soldier who fights on foot.