INFANCY Meaning and
Definition
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Infancy refers to the first stage of human life, typically from birth to approximately two years of age. This period is characterized by rapid growth and development, marked by significant physical, cognitive, and emotional changes. Infancy is a crucial time for the formation of attachments, socialization, and the development of basic skills.
Physically, infants undergo notable changes, such as an increase in weight and height, the development of motor skills (rolling, sitting, crawling, walking), and the growth of primary teeth. Their cognitive development sees a notable progression as well, as infants start to recognize faces, imitate sounds, engage in exploration using their senses, and learn basic cause-and-effect relationships. Infants also begin to understand and respond to emotions in themselves and others during this phase.
The infant stage is strongly associated with dependency on caregivers for basic needs such as feeding, nurturing, and security. This period is essential for the establishment of trust and security, as it shapes the infant's emotional well-being and influences their future patterns of social interaction.
While the duration of infancy may vary across cultures and individuals, this stage is universally considered a crucial time for laying the foundation of future development.
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1. The earliest period of extrauterine life, babyhood; roughly, the first two years of life. 2. In law, minority, the period prior to the twenty-first birthday.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
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The first part of life; the first age of anything; early period; in law, state of being a minor.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Top Common Misspellings for INFANCY *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for INFANCY
Etymology of INFANCY
The word "infancy" originated from the Latin word "infantia", which is derived from the Latin root "infans". "Infans" is made up of two parts: "in", meaning "not", and "fans", the present participle of "fari", which translates to "speak". Therefore, "infans" literally means "not speaking". The term "infans" was used to refer to a child who had not yet developed the ability to speak. Over time, the term evolved to encompass the broader concept of early childhood, and thus the word "infancy" came into existence.
Idioms with the word INFANCY
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in its infancy
The idiom "in its infancy" is used to describe something that is in its early stages of development or existence. It suggests that the thing being referred to is still in the beginning phases, with a lot of room for growth, improvement, or maturation.
Similar spelling words for INFANCY
- Unfence,
- infancia,
- d\'enfance,
- unheaviness,
- Infante,
- infantile,
- infinis,
- unevenness,
- l\'enfance,
- infantry,
- Uniphonous,
- uneuphonious,
- onivins,
- infant,
- enfance,
- unfancy,
- infamy,
- infantino,
- 'enfance,
- Infans,
- infaunas,
- invincibly.
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