Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

infante

 - 3 dictionary results

in⋅fan⋅te

[in-fan-tey]
–noun
any son of the king of Spain or of Portugal who is not heir to the throne.

Origin:
1545–55; < Sp or Pg; see infant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To infante
in·fan·te   (ĭn-fān'tē, -fän'tā)   
n.  A son of a Spanish or Portuguese king other than the heir to the throne.

[Spanish and Portuguese, both from Latin īnfāns, īnfant-, infant; see infant.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

infante

the title borne from the 13th century by the children of the Spanish and Portuguese monarchs. The title infante was borne by the sons of the sovereign, and the title infanta was given to the daughters and to the wife of an infante. From the reign of John I of Castile (1379-90) there began the custom of calling the sovereign's eldest son principe (prince) de Asturias and not infante. Correspondingly, until the severance of Brazil from the Portuguese monarchy, the eldest son was principe de Brasil. Although a son or daughter of the sovereign of Spain was by right infante or infanta of Spain, the sovereign could grant the title, alone, to other members of the blood royal.

Learn more about infante with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see infante on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: