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

"Practices will need to be incentivised back into NHS work in the places where the NHS footprint has thinned most."

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

For example, Crypto.com Arena’s footprint will be changed to accommodate artistic gymnastics, with up to six apparatuses on the floor along with areas for judges, broadcast positions and media.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

I encountered Chud’s footprint almost everywhere I went.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Its more mobile footprint in the Philippines complements the U.S. presence in Japan, where America has permanent bases that host tens of thousands of troops.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

That’s when the younger guard saw the footprint.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Some of the vehicles abandoned by foreign forces went on display this week, including a Humvee covered in dusty footprints and wrapped in fairy lights.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

One of the strongest patterns involved the spacing between the dinosaur's left and right footprints.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

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

NRG Energy has partnered with Sunrun to market bundled solar-and-storage subscriptions, while incumbent hardware makers such as Tesla continue expanding residential footprints.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

I bet you already know how to track footprints in the dirt.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• footstep
• impression
• imprint