印章 (yìnzhāng) literally combines 印 (yìn), meaning 'seal' or 'impression', and 章 (zhāng), meaning 'chapter', 'stamp', or 'seal'—here reinforcing the idea of an official mark. Together, they refer to a carved stamp used to imprint inked characters or designs onto paper or other surfaces. Historically, seals were essential for authentication in Chinese bureaucracy, business, and personal documents, replacing signatures in many formal contexts.

Today, 印章 remains widely used in China and other Sinophone societies: company chops (公章 gōngzhāng), personal name seals (私章 sīzhāng), and even artistic seals on calligraphy or paintings. Unlike Western rubber stamps, traditional Chinese seals are often made from stone, wood, or jade and use red cinnabar paste. The shape, script style (e.g., seal script), and placement all carry cultural and legal significance.