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

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

4

: something that identifies

a genetic footprint

Synonyms

• 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

City’s Etihad Campus offers state-of-the-art facilities for the club’s emerging talent on the same footprint as the first team — an approach mirrored by Liverpool at their £50m Kirkby training base, which opened in 2020. —Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

Despite its compact footprint, the space-saving design makes room for a small family and even a dedicated hobby area. —New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025

According to Dottin, the sulfur ratios found in the lunar samples might be a footprint from that collision. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025

The resort monitors its carbon and water footprint. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025

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