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

Gone are the days of just blueprints, prototypes and calculations, as engineering now revolves around efficiency, speed and precision in a world where technology is rapidly changing. —Srinivasa Rao Bittla, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

The Golden Knights provided a blueprint for how the network would work with various teams in their local markets, with the wider local reach on free TV and a partnership for streaming access. —Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025

The call for violent insurrection and radical societal overhaul has since served as a blueprint for white supremacists and right-wing extremists. —Art Jipson, The Conversation, 11 June 2025

The massive Tennessee festival has become one of the premiere music events of the year and offered a blueprint for other festivals, like New York City’s Governor’s Ball and All Things Go. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 10 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blueprint

• footprint
• imprint
• misprint
• newsprint
• nonprint
• preprint
• reprint
• clint
• dint
• glint
• hint
• lint

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