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 The blueprint for all Jerome visitors is a simple one. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024 New York designed a blueprint for weed that valued social equity and small business over efficiency and quick tax dollars. Wesley Parnell, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 That database is made available to researchers and conservationists–locally and around the world–to help inform land and water management, provide a blueprint for healthy ecosystems, and update the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, highlight key biodiversity areas, and more. Alisha McDarris, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2024 When there were no footsteps to follow, no blueprint. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Here’s a blueprint for injecting new vigor into the golden ceremony. Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Unlikely to pass the House and the Senate to become law, the proposal for fiscal 2025 is an election year blueprint about what the future could hold if Mr. Biden and enough of his fellow Democrats win in November. CBS News, 11 Mar. 2024 Given the detailed content and skill allocation provided in the CPA exam blueprints, candidates can tailor their study hours to address their strengths and weaknesses. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Some practitioners overlay the bagua onto the blueprint of an entire home, the top row justified with the southern side of the building, while others employ it room by room. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blueprint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blueprint was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near blueprint

Cite this Entry

“Blueprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blueprint. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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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