1
: a stable position or placing of the feet
2
: a surface or its condition with respect to one walking or running on it
especially
: the condition of a racetrack
4
5
: basis
6
: terms of social intercourse
7
: an enlargement at the lower end of a foundation wall, pier, or column to distribute the load
8
: the sum of a column of figures
Examples of footing in a Sentence
He lost his footing and fell down the slope.
Be careful. The footing is slippery there.
Recent Examples on the Web
City leaders and the Austin Transit Partnership, the local government corporation established to plan and build the light rail, have maintained that the financial model stands on firm legal footing.
—
Ella McCarthy, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The right of jurisdictions to enact sanctuary provisions that block the use of local resources for this federal function has been litigated over and over again, and always found to be on solid legal footing.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025
If researchers complete the proof that quantum computers truly surpass classical ones at a specific task, that will automatically put quantum cryptography on much stronger theoretical footing than practically any kind of classical cryptography.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 25 July 2025
Hamline Midway Library Construction on the new Hamline Midway Library continues on Minnehaha Avenue, where construction crews have poured the footings and soon will finish the building foundation, as well as complete waterproofing and backfilling the site’s footprint.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for footing
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Ella McCarthy, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The right of jurisdictions to enact sanctuary provisions that block the use of local resources for this federal function has been litigated over and over again, and always found to be on solid legal footing.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025
If researchers complete the proof that quantum computers truly surpass classical ones at a specific task, that will automatically put quantum cryptography on much stronger theoretical footing than practically any kind of classical cryptography.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 25 July 2025
Hamline Midway Library Construction on the new Hamline Midway Library continues on Minnehaha Avenue, where construction crews have poured the footings and soon will finish the building foundation, as well as complete waterproofing and backfilling the site’s footprint.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for footing
Cite this Entry
“Footing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footing. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
footing
noun
foot·ing
ˈfu̇t-iŋ 
1
a
: the placing of one's feet in a position to secure a firm or safe stand
b
: a place for the foot to rest securely
2
a
: a place or position providing a base of operations : foothold sense 2
b
: position with respect to one another : status
all started off on an equal footing
c
: basis
put the business on a firm footing
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