infantry

IPA/ˈɪnfəntri/
KK[ˈɪnfəntri]IPA/ˈɪnfəntri/

infantry — noun

1. An army branch whose soldiers are trained to fight while walking, not while ridi

1.nounB2
Definition

An army branch whose soldiers are trained to fight while walking, not while riding vehicles or horses.

Example

Ezra served in the infantry for five years before being promoted to sergeant.

collocation: served in the infantry

The general ordered the infantry to advance across the open field under cover of darkness.

collocation: ordered the infantry to advance

Common collocations
  • light infantry
  • infantry unit
  • infantry battalion
  • infantry division
  • infantry regiment
  • infantry brigade
  • mechanized infantry
  • motorized infantry
  • infantry platoon
  • dismounted infantry
Synonyms
  • foot soldiers

    less formal and slightly broader; can refer to historical or modern contexts equally

  • ground troops

    broader term that includes infantry plus other land-based forces such as armored units

  • riflemen

    narrower; focuses on soldiers specifically armed with rifles, often historically used for skirmishers

Antonyms
  • cavalry

    soldiers who fight on horseback or in armored vehicles

  • artillery

    soldiers who operate large guns and cannons from a distance

Grammar Patterns

the infantry

infantry + singular/plural verb

Usage Note

Infantry is an uncountable collective noun — it refers to the branch or unit as a whole, not to an individual person. To refer to one person, use infantry soldier or foot soldier. In British English, the infantry can take either a singular or plural verb (the infantry is / the infantry are); American English strongly prefers the singular.

Common Mistakes

He is an infantry.
He is an infantry soldier.
infantry refers to the branch, not one person.
There were three infantries in the battle.
There were three infantry units in the battle.
infantry is uncountable; use a count noun like unit, regiment, or division for numbered groups.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Infantry is the formal, precise military term for soldiers trained to fight on foot. Foot soldiers is a less formal, broader term that works well in historical contexts (e.g. medieval battles) as well as modern ones. Ground troops is the widest of the four — it includes not only infantry but also armored and support units operating on land. Riflemen is the most specific, referring to soldiers equipped with rifles and often implying a light-infantry or skirmisher role. In a sentence: 'The general deployed the infantry to hold the front line, while the riflemen moved ahead to scout the forest.'

infantry ↗foot soldiersground troopsriflemen

Common collocations

Nouns

  • infantry soldier
  • infantry unit
  • infantry battalion
  • infantry division
  • infantry regiment
  • infantry brigade
  • infantry platoon
  • infantry officer

Phrases

  • light infantry
  • mechanized infantry
  • motorized infantry
  • dismounted infantry
  • infantry tactics
  • infantry combat
  • infantry training

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Infantry comes from the Italian word infanteria, which was based on infante meaning 'young person' or 'foot soldier'. The idea was that the youngest or least experienced soldiers — those too young or poor to afford a horse — made up the foot troops. The word travelled into English through French in the late 1500s.