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.
Gustavsson provides a good blueprint for Wallstedt, too — an example of how goalies don’t always take off right away. Joe Smith, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 The blueprint calls for the military withdrawal of Israeli forces and the complete disarmament of Hamas. Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025 The new boutique will serve as the design blueprint for future stores worldwide. Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025 So now, the blueprint to stopping the Tyreek Hill-less Dolphins is stack the box, clog the middle of the field, making the offense one dimensional. Omar Kelly updated October 5, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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