flagship

American  

[flag-ship] / ˈflægˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a ship carrying the flag officer or the commander of a fleet, squadron, or the like, and displaying the officer's flag.

2. the main vessel of a shipping company.

3. any of the best or largest ships or airplanes operated by a passenger line.

4. the best or most important one of a group or system.

   This store is the flagship of our retail chain.

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adjective

1. being or constituting a flagship.

flagship British  

/ ˈflæɡˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a ship, esp in a fleet, aboard which the commander of the fleet is quartered

2. the most important ship belonging to a shipping company

3. a single item from a related group considered as the most important, often in establishing a public image

   the nine o'clock news is the flagship of the BBC

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Etymology

Origin of flagship

First recorded in 1665–75; flag ¹ + ship ¹

Explanation

Traditionally, the commander of a navy traveled in the flagship, which was distinguished by flying his distinctive flag. You can also call the ship in the front of a fleet the flagship. The flagship is generally the most powerful in some way — better armed, or larger, than the ships that follow it. Ultimately, the most important thing about a flagship is that it's first. Based on this meaning, another kind of flagship is something that's the first, best, or biggest example of something — a product, store, or program, for example. Starbucks' enormous flagship coffee shop, the company's largest and fanciest shop, is in Seattle, Washington.

Example Sentences

U.S. sales of the company’s flagship Budweiser brand meanwhile have declined consistently for more than three decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Pod Save America, the flagship podcast of Obama-era liberalism, had him on.

From Salon • May 2, 2026

Also announced its flagship bike last October and is preparing to begin deliveries later this year.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

They include making it so newly public companies only have to have been listed for six months — rather than a year — to earn a spot in the flagship S&P 500 index.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

No flagship state university has a smaller proportion of low-income students than Virginia.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• bellwether
• crown jewel