blueprint

noun

blue·​print ˈblü-ˌprint 

plural blueprints

1

: a photographic print in white on a bright blue ground or blue on a white ground used especially for copying maps, mechanical drawings, and architects' plans

2

: something or someone resembling a blueprint (as in serving as a model or providing guidance)

… few foundations have taken a similar [investing] route, so there was no blueprint to follow.

—Paul Sullivan

He was an anomaly to the rap world when he arrived, but today he is the blueprint for a generation.

—Jeff Ihaza

especially : a detailed plan or program of action

a blueprint for success

blueprint transitive verb

blueprinted; blueprinting; blueprints

It was not something blueprinted from the start or based on a French bistro archetype; it's a restaurant that has grown and evolved …

—Ian McNulty

Synonyms

• arrangement
• design
• game
• game plan
• ground plan
• master plan
• plan
• program
• project
• road map
• scheme
• strategy
• system

Examples of blueprint in a Sentence

a blueprint for reforming the public school system

an ambitious young man with a remarkably detailed blueprint for becoming a millionaire by the age of 25

Recent Examples on the Web

Gutekunst followed the Ted Thompson blueprint and knocked it out of the park like his former boss once did. —Rob Reischel, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

The state’s two-pronged approach of empowering parents and educating teens offers the blueprint Washington needs. —Edward Longe, National Review, 18 Dec. 2024

Ross, who set the blueprint for the modern pop diva, surprisingly isn't one of them. —Troy Smith, Axios, 16 Dec. 2024

Keep scrolling to shop more denim skirts, white sweaters, and knee-high boots inspired by Ellen Pompeo’s outfit blueprint below. —Averi Baudler, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

blueprint

1 of 2 noun

blue·​print

ˈblü-ˌprint

1

: a photographic print made with white lines on a blue background and used especially for copying mechanical drawings, maps, and architects' plans

2

: a detailed plan or program of action

blueprint

2 of 2 verb

: to make a blueprint of or for