Infrastructure
/ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃɚ/noun
The basic physical and organizational systems and structures needed for a society or enterprise to function.
Did you know?The word entered English in the 19th century from French, where it originally meant the underlying base of a structure—so the “invisible” stuff was named first.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*stere-
“to spread out, extend, lay firm”
Latin
Latin
struere
“to pile up, build, arrange”
Latin
Latin
in- + structura
“the underlying arrangement or built-into framework”
19th Century
French
infrastructure
“the underlying foundation or base of a structure”
Modern English
English
infrastructure
“the basic physical systems and facilities of a society”