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

… a mini-transmitter … with a modest 5-inch x 5-inch x 3-inch footprint …

—Dennis P. Barker

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

An Austrian artist canceled plans to sell 300 items of digital art … because of their mind-boggling environmental footprint.

—Natasha Frost

see also carbon footprint

4

: something that identifies

a genetic footprint

Synonyms of footprint

• footstep

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

The superstructure has been built up to roof-level, rising up to 70 feet in some places, and has a footprint of 50,000 square feet, Fisher said. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

That reduction could dramatically shrink the reactor’s physical footprint. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

The Little Green Mini stands out from other cleaners because while mighty, its small footprint makes storage easy. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026

The move would represent a sixfold increase in its drone network footprint, and gives new momentum to Amazon's air delivery plans after over a decade of setbacks. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing footprint

• carbon footprint

Rhymes for footprint

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

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