footprint

American  

[foot-print] / ˈfʊtˌprɪnt /

noun

• footprints
  plural

1. a mark left by the shod or unshod foot, as in earth or sand.

2. an impression of the sole of a person's foot, especially one taken for purposes of identification.

3. Informal. the track of a tire, especially on wet pavement.

4. a unique set of characteristics, actions, etc., that leave a trace and serve as a means of identification.

   Be careful when you post on social media—your online footprint could harm your reputation.

   The tumors share the same genetic footprint.

5. the area affected by an increase in the level of sound or noise, as that generated by an airplane.

6. Telecommunications. the area of the earth's surface within which a communications satellite's signals can be received.

7. Aerospace. the area within which it is predicted that a spacecraft or its debris will land.

8. the surface space of a desk or tabletop occupied by a piece of equipment, especially a computer or other electronic device.

9. the surface area occupied by any structure, device, etc..

   The new store will have a large footprint.

10. the impact that humans have on the environment, especially in the utilization of natural resources.

    China's water footprint;

    ways to reduce our environmental footprint.

11. any impact or effect, or its scope.

    the company’s wide footprint across the state.

12. Also called ecological footprint.  the amount of biologically productive land and ocean area required to sustain the resource consumption and waste production of an individual, population, or human activity: measured in global acres or hectares.

13. Computers. the amount of memory or disk space required by a program.

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footprint British  

/ ˈfʊtˌprɪnt /

noun

1. an indentation or outline of the foot of a person or animal on a surface

2. the shape and size of the area something occupies

   enlarging the footprint of the building

   a computer with a small footprint

3. impact on the environment

4. a military presence

   since 1944, America's military footprint in Europe has been in the West

5. computing the amount of resources, such as disk space and memory, that an application requires See also electronic footprint

6. an identifying characteristic on land or water, such as the area in which an aircraft's sonic boom can be heard or the area covered by the down-blast of a hovercraft

7. the area in which the signal from a direct broadcasting satellite is receivable

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• footprints
  plural

Etymology

Origin of footprint

First recorded in 1545–55; foot + print

Explanation

A footprint is the mark left by your feet on the ground or floor. If you dog runs away from you on the beach, you might find her by following her footprints in the sand. Your dad might scold you for tracking footprints across the clean kitchen floor — or you might hurry outside after a blizzard to be the first person in your neighborhood to make footprints in the fresh snow. A footprint is proof that you were there: similarly, a figurative kind of footprint is evidence of someone or something's presence or influence. For example, a company's "carbon footprint" is the amount of polluting greenhouse gas it emits.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

footprint footprints

Did Leroy worry about his past digital footprint making trouble for him?

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Offering a generous 20-foot-wide footprint and spanning 5,000 square feet, this six-bedroom, six-bath residence defines timeless urban sophistication,” the listing crowed.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

The report notes private-equity firms’ growing footprint in the autism-therapy business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Looking beyond its latest AI partnership, the company has made efforts to expand its AI footprint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

The first human footprint on a sandy Australian beach was immediately washed away by the waves.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

When you get locked up, your digital presence is the total sum of your activity on social media, and its footprints continue stepping without you.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

In June, Bardem became part of Hollywood history when his hands and footprints were added to the entrance of TCL Chinese Theatre.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Zookeepers then pivot to old-fashioned tracking, braving thickets of brambles and stinging nettles in search of footprints.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Scientists are preparing for a new era of lunar exploration, but a new study suggests that every landing could leave behind more than footprints.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

He also kept an eye out for any large footprints like the one he’d seen earlier.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• footstep
• impression
• imprint