In old legal vocabulary, “infant” does not mean a baby. It means a person under the age of legal majority—a minor. New York glossary materials preserve this traditional usage because it still appears in legal writing and older authorities.
The term often travels with guardian, because a guardian may be in charge of the person or property of an infant. The key point is that the word describes legal status, not developmental stage. Someone can be an infant for legal purposes without being a literal infant in everyday speech.
Why it matters: Many legal glossaries keep older terms alive because they still appear in statutes, forms, or cases. If a reader takes the word literally, the meaning of the document can be thrown off at once.
Free Practice
Master Infant and 500+ other real exam questions
Knowing the definition is step one. The New York notary exam tests this concept under time pressure — with four realistic answer choices designed to catch you on the exact details that trip candidates up. See how you'd score right now, for free.
Try the Free NY Notary Practice Test