blueprint

noun

blue·​print ˈblü-ˌprint How to pronounce blueprint (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rihanna’s business empire follows the same blueprint Baker pioneered, using stardom to control an entire industry. Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 But even with Durant’s resurgence as a blueprint, the expectation is caution. Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2025 The title track – the last song on the album – does follow a Boss-esque blueprint of vivid storytelling (with the serious true-life recounting of a near-fatal car crash as a teen), but the music leans more Killers sheen than Springsteen muscularity. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 22 June 2025 Chances are, then, that the incoming Lakers ownership will be operating with a familiar blueprint, albeit one modernized to fit the moment. Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for blueprint

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blueprint was in 1857

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blueprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blueprint. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on blueprint

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