carbon footprint

noun

: the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a person's activities or a product's manufacture and transport) during a given period

Examples of carbon footprint in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This type of aquaculture also has a low carbon footprint and the shells function as a form of carbon capture, according to a 2020 paper by the scientific journal Nature Food. — Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 And 49 percent reduced their carbon footprint year-over-year. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026 Eco effort Inkaterra's core proposition is a care and value for the environment—trust that your stay is built to have a small (negative, even) carbon footprint, with efforts that go far beyond encouraging you to reuse a towel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 However, reducing their carbon footprint could require replacing natural gas with hydrogen, methanol, or other e-fuels. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for carbon footprint

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbon footprint was in 1999

Rhymes for carbon footprint

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Browse Nearby Words

carbon flame
carbon footprint
carboni-
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Cite this Entry

“Carbon footprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20footprint. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

carbon footprint

noun
: the amount of greenhouse gases and especially carbon dioxide given off by something (as a person's activities or a product's manufacture and transport) during a given period
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