What does "fingerprint" mean?
The natural pattern of ridges on the tips of human fingers, unique to each individual.
Fingerprint
/ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The natural pattern of ridges on the tips of human fingers, unique to each individual.
- Grammar: fingerprint is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: boss, bump, colophon, concavity.
- Useful contrasts: erase, generic pattern, misidentify.
- Usage evidence: The first thing that caught his eye was a fingerprint on the glass.
How to use "fingerprint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fingerprint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fingerprint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fingerprint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fingerprint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fingerprint" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "boss" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fingerprint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The natural pattern of ridges on the tips of human fingers, unique to each individual.
- 2 a smudge made by a (dirty) finger wordnet
- 3 The patterns left on surfaces where uncovered fingertips have touched, especially as used to identify the person who touched the surface.
"Nervously, he wiped the gun of fingerprints real and imaginary with the stocking-covered fingers."
- 4 a print made by an impression of the ridges in the skin of a finger; often used for biometric identification in criminal investigations wordnet
- 5 A unique combination of features that serves as an identification of something. broadly
"acoustic fingerprint"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a generic term for any identifying characteristic wordnet
- 7 A unique identification for a public key in asymmetric cryptography.
- 8 A trace that gives evidence of someone's involvement. figuratively
"And continue to ask yourself the question, could the incredible complexity of the human body with its multitudinous specialized functions have come into being completely by chance or is it another fingerprint of God?"
Verb
- 1 To take somebody's fingerprints. transitive
"The jail staff fingerprints its inmates routinely"
- 2 take an impression of a person's fingerprints wordnet
- 3 To identify something uniquely by a combination of measurements. transitive
"Analytical results from this combination of leach tests are tools that allow the investigator to quantify (fingerprint) which geochemical components could be expected in runoff from these piles if they were leached by a cloudburst..."
Antonyms
Example
"The first thing that caught his eye was a fingerprint on the glass."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fingerprint"?
Common synonyms include: boss, bump, colophon, concavity, confirm identity, convexity.
How do you use "fingerprint" in a sentence?
The first thing that caught his eye was a fingerprint on the glass.
How do you pronounce "fingerprint"?
Pronounced /ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnt/.
Etymology
From finger + print.