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 department also committed to rebuilding at least 17 of 22 bridges and overpasses along I-77’s southern footprint and adding pedestrian and cycle access to them. — Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026

The league’s geographic footprint has also expanded beyond the United States. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

The governor boasted that the new Belmont Park represents the bright future of the sport of horse racing, which has a significant footprint in New York with the 150-year-old Saratoga Race Course upstate. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, an officer who claimed to have been the first to examine the loft following the crimes testified that the dust on the floor was seemingly untouched, with no footprints or trailing skirts. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing footprint

• carbon footprint
• digital 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