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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of flagship

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

Example Sentences

At the 18 state flagship universities he looked at, they were asked to pay an average of $14,000 per year.

From MarketWatch

The flagship Dubai Mall stayed open, and operators reopened most locations within days, but some shops in airports remained shut and foot traffic dropped sharply, particularly in Dubai, which relies heavily on international visitors.

From The Wall Street Journal

Most notable among them is the Scottish Child Payment, a targeted benefit for families which has become one of the SNP's flagship policies.

From BBC

Shares of ImmunityBio plummeted Tuesday after the Food and Drug Administration said the biotech company used false or misleading advertising to promote Anktiva, its flagship bladder cancer drug.

From Barron's

“The best thing in Microsoft’s flagship $99 AI bundle is Anthropic IP, which raises an obvious question – what happens to Microsoft as Anthropic’s capabilities increasingly become ‘the product’ rather than just an integration?”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bellwether
• crown jewel