infrastructure

noun

in·​fra·​struc·​ture ˈin-frə-ˌstrək-chər How to pronounce infrastructure (audio)
-(ˌ)frä-
1
: the system of public works of a country, state, or region
also : the resources (such as personnel, buildings, or equipment) required for an activity
2
: the underlying foundation or basic framework (as of a system or organization)
3
: the permanent installations required for military purposes
infrastructural adjective

Did you know?

Infra- means "below;" so the infrastructure is the "underlying structure" of a country and its economy, the fixed installations that it needs in order to function. These include roads, bridges, dams, the water and sewer systems, railways and subways, airports, and harbors. These are generally government-built and publicly owned. Some people also speak about such things as the intellectual infrastructure or the infrastructure of science research, but the meaning of such notions can be extremely vague.

Examples of infrastructure in a Sentence

More money is needed to save the crumbling infrastructure of the nation's rural areas. We need to spend more money on maintaining and repairing infrastructure.
Recent Examples on the Web Campillo and Gloria also argued that the sales tax increase would actually save the city money by allowing officials to shore up crumbling roads and infrastructure at the most cost-effective time, instead of waiting for a crisis. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 The transition to electric vehicles would require enormous changes in manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, labor, global trade and consumer habits. Coral Davenport, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 The company also agreed to spend $4 million on installing electric vehicle chargers in parks and rural areas in California, Newsom’s office said, while Stellantis will spend another $6 million on charging infrastructure in other states that choose to adopt California’s rules. Sophie Austin, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Civil engineers, mechanical engineers, nuclear engineers, and others are tasked to build infrastructure that humankind relies on, and they are expected to solve problems. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 Radar systems are important defensive infrastructure for governments, and are used by militaries across the globe. Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Water infrastructure is key to the project, the complaint states, as the factory could need up to 715,000 gallons of water per day to operate. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 19 Mar. 2024 Ukraine waged an intensified campaign of drone attacks aimed at key Russian infrastructure including oil refineries in the weeks leading up to the election that continued over the weekend. Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024 On the Rio Grande in Texas, an area largely lacking major border wall infrastructure due to the complex environment, the numbers remained relatively stable during the same time frames. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infrastructure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of infrastructure was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near infrastructure

Cite this Entry

“Infrastructure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infrastructure. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

infrastructure

noun
in·​fra·​struc·​ture ˈin-frə-ˌstrək-chər How to pronounce infrastructure (audio)
1
: the underlying foundation or basic framework (as of a system or organization)
2
: the system of public works of a country, state, or region
also : the resources (as people, buildings, or equipment) required for an activity
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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