footprint

[ foot-print ]

noun

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 ec·o·log·i·cal foot·print [ek, -, uh, -loj-i-k, uh, l , foot, -print, ee, k, uh, -]. 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.

footprint

/ 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. See electronic footprint
   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

Word History and Origins

Origin of footprint¹

First recorded in 1545–55; foot + print

Example Sentences

Courtesy of clever technology and smart design, the company has built a pretty sizable footprint for what might otherwise be a fairly niche product, expanding retail sales to Target, Costco, Best Buy and Starbucks, among others.

From TechCrunch

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement that Uber could accelerate Drizly’s “trajectory by exposing Drizly to the Uber audience and expanding its geographic presence into our global footprint in the years ahead.”

From Washington Post

By bringing Drizly into the Uber family, we can accelerate that trajectory by exposing Drizly to the Uber audience and expanding its geographic presence into our global footprint in the years ahead.

From TechCrunch

They say their huge footprint — DoorDash has 18 million customers — will bring more business.

From Eater

The only footprints behind the fence came from the National Guard.

From Washington Post

Every single one of them leaves a footprint online, however minor it may be.

From The Daily Beast

The environmental cost to cure the wood is small, though the carbon footprint is high.

From The Daily Beast

Because of the huge, huge carbon footprint of animal agriculture.

From The Daily Beast

Because the footprint is only partial, there is no definitive way to positively identify just whose print it is.

From The Daily Beast

Upon further investigation, she discovered that the footprint was her own.

From The Daily Beast

The resemblance between the footprint of a bear and that of a man, in snow, is remarkably close.

From Project Gutenberg

"Gosh, you sure made a footprint there," he said wonderingly.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a footprint not unlike his own, but distinctly larger.

From Project Gutenberg

And there's a footprint in this soft new gravel just outside.'

From Project Gutenberg

It was a little startling, at first, to come upon this footprint in the sand; but a little reflection set the feeling at rest.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• footstep
• impression
• imprint