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

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

The product is sold without packaging to reduce its environmental footprint. —Laia Farran Graves, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

This affordable shed packs an impressive 148 cubic feet of storage space into its compact 6-by-4-foot footprint. —Miles Walls, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024

Advocate Health, which operates as Atrium in the Southeast, announced debt cancellations throughout its six-state footprint in a Sept. 18 news release. —Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 20 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