Word: infrastructure (noun)

Associations

Infrastructure means the basic systems and structures that a country, city, or organization needs to work well. This includes things like roads, bridges, water supply, electricity, and communication systems.

• Example 1: "The government is investing in new infrastructure to improve transportation." Here, infrastructure means roads, bridges, and public transit.
• Example 2: "Good internet infrastructure is important for businesses to operate efficiently." This means the systems that provide internet access.
• Example 3: "The city's infrastructure was damaged during the storm." This refers to all the public systems like water, electricity, and roads.

A synonym could be "facilities," but facilities usually mean buildings or places, while infrastructure is broader and includes all the physical and organizational structures needed for operation.

Substitution

You can sometimes use:

• "framework" (more general, can mean an underlying structure but not physical systems)
• "foundation" (more abstract, means a base for something)
• "facilities" (more about buildings or equipment) Using these changes the meaning slightly because infrastructure focuses on essential physical and organizational systems.

Deconstruction

The word "infrastructure" comes from Latin:

• "infra-" means "below" or "under"
• "structure" means "something built" So, infrastructure means the structures built underneath or supporting everything else. It highlights that these systems are the base that supports a city or organization.

Inquiry

• What kinds of infrastructure do you see in your town or city?
• How would your daily life change if the infrastructure was poor or broken?
• Can you think of any new types of infrastructure that will be important in the future?