An infirmary is a place where sick or injured people receive medical care, especially in settings like schools, military bases, prisons, or large institutions.

If you get hurt during recess or feel sick at school, the nurse might send you to the infirmary to rest on a cot or get a bandage. In boarding schools, students who catch the flu might spend a day or two in the infirmary, where nurses can monitor them and make sure they're recovering properly. At summer camp, counselors take campers with twisted ankles or bee stings to the infirmary for treatment.

Historically, monasteries had infirmaries where monks cared for the sick, and armies set up field infirmaries near battlegrounds to treat wounded soldiers. Today, the word often refers to small medical facilities within larger organizations, such as a college infirmary, a ship's infirmary, or a factory infirmary.

An infirmary is different from a hospital. Hospitals handle serious emergencies and complex medical problems, while infirmaries typically treat minor illnesses and injuries. Think of an infirmary as a medical room or small clinic rather than a full hospital with operating rooms and intensive care units.