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

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Etymology

Origin of footprint

First recorded in 1545–55; foot + print

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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

"The Papua LNG footprint will pass through densely forested landscapes, fragile ecosystem, floodplains and mangrove-covered coastlines," the centre wrote in a letter seen by AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

In a recent research paper, Van Nieuwerburgh said that despite AI being described as an intangible revolution, its near-term economic footprint is “strikingly physical.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Between 2020 and 2025, the carbon footprint of its investments had dropped 42 per cent, the fund said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The company serves more than 800 global utilities and hyperscalers, with a manufacturing footprint that spans 11 sites across Europe, North America and Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

“Here’s what I’m going to do. We have a Scope on a satellite TV bird with a footprint in Ireland.”

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Other California grocery chains have also had to make major changes to their store footprints.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

He said there were about "three dozen" people in his network split between Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, with the contingent outside Russia providing logistical support, such as tracking targets' digital footprints.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Along the boundary with China, Kim's government has erected fences and installed cameras as well as strips of sand that preserve the footprints of anyone who crosses.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

That transformation will likely go beyond the energy and water footprints of data centers or electricity generation, promising everything from affordable and palatable cultivated meats to lower-impact precision agriculture to hyperefficient jet engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

She hands me a few bills, and I don't even bother to count out her payment before putting it in my pocket and leaving, traipsing wet footprints over her parquet floors.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

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Related Words

• footstep
• impression
• imprint

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