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.
At the same time, the new HEFA pathway offers airlines and fuel producers an additional tool to reduce their carbon footprint. Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025 The company’s process is engineered to minimize energy waste and emissions, reducing the carbon footprint of industrial manufacturing. Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025 Energy efficient models will not only keep costs down, but minimize your carbon footprint. Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Widespread public concerns about the enormous energy and carbon footprint of AI, and scary-sounding projections by power companies about how much new electricity infrastructure will be needed to serve it, are often based on dubious data or overly simplistic extrapolations. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Carbon footprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20footprint. Accessed 10 Sep. 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
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