Infrastructure can be defined as...

• A. the underlying features of something; framework
• B. a country's military forces
• C. a decorative structure
• D. the educational system

Answer: (A)

Understanding infrastructure means recognizing the essential base that supports everything else. It’s the basic framework of facilities and services that enable a system to function—roads, power and water supplies, telecommunications, and the organizational processes that keep operations running. This sense captures why the word is defined as the underlying features or framework: it emphasizes the foundational elements that support activities, not just individual parts.

Think of how a city runs: the infrastructure includes the networks and services that let daily life happen. The military forces describe defense, which is a specific function rather than the core support system. A decorative structure is just ornament, not the necessary base. The educational system is one subsystem among many and doesn’t convey the broad, foundational idea.