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

Terracycle, a recycling company with a major distribution center in Aurora, will also be on-site to educate the community about waste diversion and creating a zero-carbon footprint, according to the news release. —Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

For more than a decade, Anadol has devoted much thought to the massive carbon footprint associated with AI models. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Indeed, just as eco-conscious stars have been turning to vintage fashion to lower the carbon footprint of looking glamorous, many of today’s stars are turning to the past for their awards season jewelry. —Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026

There are projects with an even bigger potential carbon footprint than Stargate. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carbon footprint

• blueprint
• imprint
• misprint
• newsprint
• nonprint
• preprint
• reprint
• clint
• dint
• glint
• hint
• lint

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