Definition of fingerprinting
1
: the act or an instance of taking an ink impression of someone's fingerprints for the purpose of identification
- sent him in for fingerprinting
- But he was also concerned that fingerprinting was slipping out of the hands of men like himself whom he considered "scientists" and into the hands of men like Collins whom he regarded as poorly educated clerks.
- —Simon Cole
2
: identification by analyzing characteristics unique to individuals
- genetic fingerprinting
- protein fingerprinting
