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

Existing Nvidia chips, such as the flagship GeForce RTX 5090, are in short supply and can go for more than double the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,999.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

“The market was positioned as a flagship host city but is now absorbing a gap between expectation and reality.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan, inside a Peter Marino-designed apartment lounge on the 10th floor.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Blackstone asked senior executives of its flagship private-credit fund to back the fund as redemptions rose.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

And, after waiting for a favorable wind, the flagship, commanded by Vice Admiral George Carew, sailed proudly out of its berth, prepared for battle.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• bellwether
• crown jewel