blueprint

American  

[bloo-print] / ˈbluˌprɪnt /

noun

1. a process of photographic printing, used chiefly in copying architectural and mechanical drawings, which produces a white line on a blue background.

2. a print made by this process.

3. a detailed outline or plan of action.

   a blueprint for success.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to make a blueprint of or for.

blueprint British  

/ ˈbluːˌprɪnt /

noun

1. Also called: cyanotype.  a photographic print of plans, technical drawings, etc, consisting of white lines on a blue background

2. an original plan or prototype that influences subsequent design or practice

   the Montessori method was the blueprint for education in the 1940s

---

verb

1. (tr) to make a blueprint of (a plan)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blueprinter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of blueprint

First recorded in 1885–90; blue + print

Explanation

A blueprint is a guide for making something — it's a design or pattern that can be followed. Want to build the best tree house ever? Draw up a blueprint and follow the design carefully. The literal meaning of a blueprint is a paper — which is blue — with plans for a building printed on it. You can also call other guides or plans blueprints. The way you do your homework every night could provide a blueprint for your little sister’s study habits. A business plan is a blueprint for a profitable business. Religions and philosophies provide the blueprint for many people’s lives. A blueprint helps you figure out what to do.

Example Sentences

Regulators at the California Air Resources Board are set to decide May 28 whether to approve the latest blueprint for greenhouse gas limits on major polluters through 2045, a program known as cap-and-invest.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

The utility giant’s outlook could remain supported by grid upgrade needs under Malaysia’s energy transition blueprint, he reckons.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Rather than representing a universal blueprint, its orderly structure could be just one example among many wildly different planetary arrangements in the cosmos.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

"This is the blueprint of my life," said the actor, a lifelong aeroplane nut, who narrates the story.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

“I think having a blueprint makes life boring. Maybe I don’t want to get married or have kids or any of that. Maybe I just want a career and that’s all.”

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• draft
• game plan
• master plan
• model
• prototype
• scheme
• sketch