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 of blueprint

• plan
• strategy
• program
• scheme
• project

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

Geevarghese, the Our Revolution executive director, said local elections are often where political movements are first built, and that Mamdani has provided a blueprint for progressive candidates. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 June 2026

The city's blueprint will help Hong Kong synchronize with and serve the national development plan while upholding a free-market economy, Tse said. —ABC News, 15 June 2026

South Africa unveiled a sweeping new pricing blueprint to introduce competition in the country’s electricity sector, a move that would directly affect more than $14 billion in private international investment reshaping the nation’s grid. —Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 15 June 2026

For the next round of bidders, this summer is looking more like a blueprint. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 June 2026

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