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

• 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

Our blueprint is clear: refinance $500 million in expensive debt, review and adjust the $30 million dividend, sell non-core assets such as Fuzzy’s, and refresh a board that has been too comfortable for an extended period. —Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

According to Project 2025 Tracker, while the president has distanced himself from the agenda, a total of 317 objectives from the blueprint have been completed throughout Trump's second term and 63 are in progress. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025

The Colts knew Richardson was a project, yet their blueprint was flawed from the start. —James Boyd, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025

The final blueprint is likely to be discussed at the next GST Council meeting expected in September. —Ayushi Jindal, CNBC, 21 Aug. 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