infancy

From Middle English infancie, from Latin īnfantia (“infancy, early childhood; childishness”), equivalent to infant +‎ -cy.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪnfənsi/

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infancy (countable and uncountable, plural infancies)

1. The earliest period of childhood (crawling rather than walking).
2. The state of being an infant.
3. (figurative) An early stage in the development of anything.

   Space tourism is still in its infancy.

   • 1941 May, Voyageur, “The Clogher Valley Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 195:

     It was in November, 1932, in an endeavour to reduce working costs, that the first diesel railcar was introduced, and it was a far-sighted move on the part of Mr. D. N. McClure, for diesel propulsion on railways was then more or less in its infancy.

4. (law) The state of being a minor.

(earliest period of childhood):

• infanthood
• babyhood

(state of being an infant):

• babyship

(state of being a minor):

• infanthood

infancy

1. Alternative form of infancie