Illustration of fingerprint
- 1 arch
- 2 loop
- 3 whorl
- 4 composite
fingerprint
noun
fin·ger·print
ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌprint 
1
: the impression of a fingertip on any surface
also
: an ink impression of the lines upon the fingertip taken for the purpose of identification
2
: something that identifies: such as
a
: a trait, trace, or characteristic revealing origin or responsibility
b
: analytical evidence (such as a spectrogram) that characterizes an object or substance
especially
: the chromatogram or electrophoretogram obtained by cleaving a protein by enzymatic action and subjecting the resulting collection of peptides to two-dimensional chromatography or electrophoresis
c
: the base-pair pattern in an individual's DNA obtained by DNA fingerprinting
fingerprint
transitive verb
Examples of fingerprint in a Sentence
Detectives found his fingerprints all over the gun.
Everyone has a unique fingerprint.
Recent Examples on the Web
His fingerprints are all over this title win.
—
Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 23 May 2026
Even so, his fingerprints remain all over contemporary R&B.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 22 May 2026
Elsewhere, the maps captured the fingerprints of conflict and economic instability.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026
The vast majority of that litigation — which has paid out millions of dollars to Illinoisans mostly via class-action settlements — has been over employee fingerprints collected by timeclock technology, though Facebook's $650 million settlement in 2020 was with users over facial recognition.
—Hannah Meisel, CBS News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fingerprint
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 23 May 2026
Even so, his fingerprints remain all over contemporary R&B.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 22 May 2026
Elsewhere, the maps captured the fingerprints of conflict and economic instability.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026
The vast majority of that litigation — which has paid out millions of dollars to Illinoisans mostly via class-action settlements — has been over employee fingerprints collected by timeclock technology, though Facebook's $650 million settlement in 2020 was with users over facial recognition.
—Hannah Meisel, CBS News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fingerprint
Cite this Entry
“Fingerprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fingerprint. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fingerprint
noun
fin·ger·print
ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌprint
: the pattern of marks made by pressing the tip of a finger on a surface
especially
: a pattern of marks in ink of the lines on the tip of a finger taken for the purpose of identification
fingerprint
verb
fingerprinting
noun
-ˌprin-tiŋ
Medical Definition
fingerprint
1 of 2 noun
fin·ger·print
-ˌprint
1
: the impression of a fingertip on any surface
especially
: an ink impression of the lines on the fingertip taken for purpose of identification
2
: analytical evidence (as a spectrogram) that characterizes an object or substance
especially
: the chromatogram or electrophoretogram obtained by cleaving a protein by enzymatic action and subjecting the resulting collection of peptides to two-dimensional chromatography or electrophoresis compare dna fingerprinting
fingerprint
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to analyze (as spectrographically or chromatographically) in order to determine uniquely the identifying characteristics, origin, or constitution of
each protein was fingerprinted
fingerprinting
noun
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