footprint

noun

foot·​print ˈfu̇t-ˌprint 

1

: an impression of the foot on a surface

2

a

: the area on a surface covered by something

a tire with a wide footprint

the footprint of a laser beam

b

: range of operation (as of a service)

a global footprint

3

: a marked effect, impression, or impact

left a footprint in the field of research

4

: something that identifies

a genetic footprint

Synonyms

• footmark
• footstep
• step
• trace
• vestige

Examples of footprint in a Sentence

The child left her tiny footprints in the snow.

He walked into the kitchen with his boots on, making muddy footprints on the floor.

The new model has a smaller footprint than the older model.

Recent Examples on the Web

With this backing, the company is preparing to expand into France, Spain, Dubai and Canada while deepening its footprint in the United States. —Rachel King, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

The company continues to focus on restructuring its manufacturing footprint and transitioning to an outsourced model. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Jan. 2025

Photo by Karen Gazzard/Shutterstock Monhegan Island, Maine Accessible only by personal boat or ferry (like the Monhegan Boat Line), Monhegan Island sits 10 miles off the coast of Maine, where its one-square-mile footprint is home to about 65 diehard year-round residents. —Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025

Big vehicles with big environmental footprints Heavy trucks have an outsized effect on both climate change and human health. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing footprint

• carbon footprint

Kids Definition

footprint

noun

foot·​print ˈfu̇t-ˌprint 

: a track left by the foot

Medical Definition

footprint

noun

foot·​print ˈfu̇t-ˌprint 

: an impression of the foot on a surface