imprint

1 of 2

verb

imprinted; imprinting; imprints

transitive verb

1
: to mark by or as if by pressure : impress
2
a
: to fix indelibly or permanently (as on the memory)
Her grandchild's lovely face is imprinted in her mind.
b
: to subject to or induce by imprinting
an imprinted preference

intransitive verb

: to undergo imprinting
imprinter
im-ˈprin-tər How to pronounce imprint (audio)
ˈim-ˌprin-
noun

imprint

2 of 2

noun

im·​print ˈim-ˌprint How to pronounce imprint (audio)
: something imprinted or printed: such as
a
: a mark or depression made by pressure
the fossil imprint of a dinosaur's foot
b
: an identifying name (as of a publisher) placed conspicuously on a product
also : the name under which a publisher issues books
c
: an indelible distinguishing effect or influence
was determined to leave her imprint on the organization

Examples of imprint in a Sentence

Verb wearing a T-shirt imprinted with the company logo a picture imprinted in my memory Noun We saw an imprint of a bike tire on the dirt trail. a fossil imprint of a dinosaur's foot
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.
Verb
When the light faded behind my tent, the Mazatzals imprinted jagged peaks onto a curtain of stars. Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025 Most of the back is covered in a dotted texture imprinted directly into the plastic. PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Available from Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House. Makshya Tolbert, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025 Dawson will have a chance to leave his imprint on KC’s Major League Baseball franchise in 2026. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for imprint

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English emprenten, from Anglo-French emprient, 3rd singular of enpreindre to impress (from Latin imprimere) & empreinter, from emprent, past participle of enpreindre

Noun

Middle English enpreent, from Anglo-French emprente, from feminine of emprent, past participle of enpreindre

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of imprint was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprint. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

imprint

1 of 2 verb
im·​print im-ˈprint How to pronounce imprint (audio)
ˈim-ˌ
1
: to mark by or as if by pressure : stamp
2
: to fix firmly (as on the memory)
3
: to go through the process of imprinting

imprint

2 of 2 noun
im·​print ˈim-ˌprint How to pronounce imprint (audio)
1
: something imprinted or printed : impression
the imprint of a hippo's foot
2
: a publisher's name on the title page of a book

Medical Definition

imprint

transitive verb
im·​print im-ˈprint How to pronounce imprint (audio) ˈim-ˌ How to pronounce imprint (audio)
1
: to fix indelibly or permanently (as on the memory)
2
: to subject to or induce by imprinting
an imprinted preference
a gene imprinted to be inactive when inherited from the mother

intransitive verb

: to undergo imprinting
imprinter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on imprint

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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