carbon footprint

noun

: the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a person's activities or a product's manufacture and transport) during a given period

Examples of carbon footprint in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The palace previously said the updates to the landmark would reduce the building's carbon footprint by 40% over time. Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 26 June 2026 Still, if only there were a way to capture a fraction of that processing power, the carbon footprint of computing could meaningfully shrink. New Atlas, 2 July 2026 For Rosatom, the environmental benefits of a lower carbon footprint are a welcome talking point. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2026 The company also reported a 20% bump in its supply chain emissions, which account for three-quarters of its total carbon footprint. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for carbon footprint

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbon footprint was in 1999

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carbon footprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20footprint. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

carbon footprint

noun
: the amount of greenhouse gases and especially carbon dioxide given off by something (as a person's activities or a product's manufacture and transport) during a given period
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster