footprint

noun

foot·​print ˈfu̇t-ˌprint How to pronounce footprint (audio)
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

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 Fenway Park and Wrigley Field have both expanded beyond that small footprint. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Wallace Fox was a clock puncher, a work-for-hire employee who followed instructions — which might explain his limited Internet footprint. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Growing cyber threats worldwide also means that Google has had to expand its cybersecurity footprint. Mary Hui, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 The duo reportedly found a footprint near the home, which led to a body of water less than a mile from the residence. Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 China has increasingly expanded its footprint in Maldives, most visibly through large-scale infrastructure projects such as the $200 million China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. Helen Regan, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Since then, its footprint has expanded across several city blocks and includes an array of trees, plants and monuments. Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 Tilman Fertitta is expanding his footprint in Houston. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024 Unless these types of shopping experiences and services are deployed at a larger scale relative to a brand’s retail footprint, the impact will remain fairly minimal compared to the amount of new products that are created and displayed in their stores. Clara Ludmir, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'footprint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of footprint was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near footprint

Cite this Entry

“Footprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footprint. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

footprint

noun
foot·​print ˈfu̇t-ˌprint How to pronounce footprint (audio)
: a track left by the foot

Medical Definition

footprint

noun
foot·​print ˈfu̇t-ˌprint How to pronounce footprint (audio)
: an impression of the foot on a surface

More from Merriam-Webster on footprint

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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