flagship

noun flag·ship \ ˈflag-ˌship \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of flagship

1 : the ship that carries the commander of a fleet or subdivision of a fleet and flies the commander's flag

2 : the finest, largest, or most important one of a group of things (such as products, stores, etc.) —often used before another noun

the company's flagship store

The traveling media crew comprises seven beat writers and a reporter from WFAN, the team's flagship station and the granddaddy of all-sports radio.
—Hank Hersch

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See flagship defined for kids

Examples of flagship in a Sentence

the flagship of the Atlantic fleet

Recent Examples of flagship from the Web

For 108 years, the Boy Scouts of America's flagship program has been known simply as the Boy Scouts.

— christopher harress, AL.com, "Mobile student arrested after threatening to kill classmates," 2 May 2018
For 108 years, the Boy Scouts of America’s flagship program has been known simply as the Boy Scouts.

— david crary, Indianapolis Star, "Boy Scouts to drop 'Boy' as girls join ranks," 2 May 2018
The former Charlotte Hornets coach, fired earlier this month by new general manager Mitch Kupchak, is serving as an NBA playoff analyst for ESPN’s SportsCenter, the network’s flagship news program.

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "What's ex-Hornets coach Steve Clifford's new gig? (It's glam, but no tie) | Charlotte Observer," 24 Apr. 2018
Not just the money, but the status of the company's flagship program.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Kansas is not a 'victim.' Let's be honest about what's happening in college basketball | The Kansas City Star," 19 Apr. 2018
Since 2012, the futuristic fabric has become a flagship product for the Swoosh and has earned a reputation as a go-to for elite athletic shoes and everyday kicks alike.

— tyler watamanuk, GQ, "Nike Found a Way to Make Flyknit Even Better," 30 Mar. 2018
At the time, McCall knew almost nothing about bourbon, the company's flagship product.

— bailey loosemore, USA TODAY, "Women start to make a mark as Kentucky's master whiskey distillers," 26 Feb. 2018
At the time, McCall knew almost nothing about bourbon, the company's flagship product.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "This woman could (eventually!) be Woodford Reserve's next master distiller," 22 Feb. 2018
For a time, Hotaling’s warehouse was the largest liquor business in the city, with Cutter’s A1 Whiskey ($7 a bottle, as of 1902) its flagship product.

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "In wake of Sapporo beer deal, Anchor Distilling rechristened as Hotaling & Co.," 31 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flagship.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of flagship

1672

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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FLAGSHIP Defined for English Language Learners

flagship

noun

Definition of flagship for English Language Learners

: the ship that carries the commander of a group of ships
: the best, largest, or most important one of a group of things (such as products, stores, etc.)