Definition of INFRASTRUCTURE (original) (raw)
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.
Synonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Musk and his aides have assumed control of federal IT infrastructure as his team swiftly blitzes through departments and agencies. —
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025 President Trump's pick to lead DHS, Kristi Noem, vowed to shrink the agency and return it to its mission of protecting critical infrastructure. —Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 6 Feb. 2025 That’s a perch from which Kennedy could reorient the federal government’s health infrastructure concretely away from life-saving vaccines, along research, funding, implementation and communication. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2025 Little to no infrastructure was built on the portion that was previously known to be moving, Handwerger said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for infrastructure 
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 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 9 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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