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

• footmark
• footstep
• step
• trace
• vestige

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

Depreciation and amortization expenses decreased to $185,000 from $524,000, related to asset sales and office footprint reduction. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024

Put together, these steps can greatly reduce a company's environmental footprint. —Simon Dae Oong Kim, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Offsets — reducing the water consumption of others — reduce the fab's overall water footprint, the same way other companies offset emissions by joining the carbon market. —Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024

Digital health players with a pharmacy footprint like Ro and Hims & Hers have made significant inroads in supplying compounded GLP-1s. —Claire Rychlewski, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing footprint

• carbon footprint

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