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infantile

infantile

adjective een-fahn-TEE-leh Rare
Body & Health Health & Illness

Origin: From Latin infantilis, from infans (infant).

Also means

childlike

Usage Note

Infantile means relating to infants or early childhood (malattie infantili = childhood diseases) but also pejoratively means childish or immature (un comportamento infantile). This double use makes it a mild false friend: calling an adult infantile is an insult in Italian just as in English. Same form for masculine and feminine; plural: infantili.

Examples

"La paralisi cerebrale infantile richiede cure specializzate."

Natural Translation

Infantile cerebral palsy requires specialized care.

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