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.
That's bad news for automakers and people who were hoping to reduce their carbon footprint somewhat by opting for a plug-in hybrid – a type of car that can be charged up to do short commutes about 50 miles (80 km) relying just on the battery, while the gas engine takes over for longer trips. New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025 Using renewables and a heat battery lowers the carbon footprint of the project. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025 The water and fertilizer requirements coupled with comparatively small crop yields means that a single avocado possesses about double the carbon footprint as a banana and five times that of an apple. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025 Ciavatta said Pindorama has been offsetting its entire carbon footprint since 2007, compensating 100% of its emissions through the reforestation of river basins in partnership with the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation. Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025 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 23 Oct. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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