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• blue ribbon
  blue ribbon

  noun

  the highest award or distinction, as the first prize in a contest.
• blue-ribbon
  blue-ribbon

  adjective

  of superior quality or prominence; first-rate; specially selected.

blue ribbon

¹ American  

[bloo rib-uhn] / ˈblu ˈrɪb ən /

noun

1. the highest award or distinction, as the first prize in a contest.

   His entry at the state fair won a blue ribbon.

2. a blue ribbon worn as a badge of honor, especially by members of the Order of the Garter of the British knighthood.

3. (initial capital letters) Also Blue Ribband. (formerly) a prize awarded to an ocean liner making the fastest recorded trip across the Atlantic Ocean between Ambrose Lightship and Bishop Rock.

4. a badge used by some temperance organizations to indicate a pledge of abstinence from alcohol.

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blue-ribbon ² American  

[bloo-rib-uhn] / ˈbluˈrɪb ən /

adjective

1. of superior quality or prominence; first-rate; specially selected.

   a blue-ribbon committee of fund-raisers.

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blue ribbon British  

noun

1. (in Britain) a badge of blue silk worn by members of the Order of the Garter

2. a badge awarded as the first prize in a competition

3. a badge worn by a member of a temperance society

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Etymology

Origin of blue ribbon¹

First recorded in 1645–55

Origin of blue-ribbon²

First recorded in 1925–30; adj. use of blue ribbon

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blue ribbon blue-ribbon

Far from staging the blue ribbon Ulster senior finals it will now only be able to host lower ranking fixtures.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Lancashire, who appeared at the hearing via a video link from HMP Peterborough, wore her brown hair in pigtails - one tied with a pink ribbon and one with a blue ribbon.

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026

The show, hosted by Jason Biggs, features blue ribbon winners from state fairs nationwide competing for a $100,000 prize.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2024

The logo, unveiled Monday, is a continuous red, white and blue ribbon that swoops through the number 250 — neatly sidestepping the “semiquincentennial” conundrum.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2023

It curled like an icy blue ribbon through the thick green forest.

From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis

The Carnegie Foundation offered prestigious fellowships, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences convened a blue-ribbon commission.

From Slate ● May 1, 2026

It means he’s poised to break a blue-ribbon record despite his own team undermining his efforts to get there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

NAIRR’s road map comes from a 6-year, $2.6 billion plan for growing the nation’s academic AI research capacity that a blue-ribbon panel proposed in January 2023.

From Science Magazine ● May 8, 2024

The Dark Horse is considered the blue-ribbon model of the Mustang lineup, with a starting price tag for consumers close to $60,000.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

Then we’d make fun of the blue-ribbon craft projects and dance a wild jitterbug to whatever lame-o band they’d brought in.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth