infrastructure
n. C / Un. the basic systems and services that a country or organization needs to run properly. This includes things like roads, power lines, and water pipes.
n. the fundamental physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. Often refers to large-scale public works such as transportation, communication, and utility networks.
The city needs to invest more money in its crumbling infrastructure.
After the earthquake, the government focused on rebuilding the telecommunications infrastructure to restore contact with remote villages.
A robust digital infrastructure is no longer a luxury but a prerequisite for economic competitiveness in a global market that relies on high-speed data transmission and cloud computing.
Borrowed from French infrastructure, equivalent to infra- + structure.
Usually uncountable when referring to the general concept; can be countable when comparing the systems of different regions or organizations.