Roadmap

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A structured outline that delineates the necessary actions for accomplishing a specified aim
2. A systematic blueprint that maps out the essential stages required to reach a desired outcome
3. A clear plan that details steps needed to achieve an objective

Etymology: "Roadmap" is a plain compound of "road" and "map," and its literal sense of a map of routes is the one it started with. The figurative use, a plan laying out the stages needed to reach a goal, came later, as the word stretched from geography into planning and project management. Because the parts are so transparent, the history here is mostly a matter of meaning rather than sound change: a picture of physical routes became a picture of a sequence of steps toward an objective.

Synonyms: plan, strategy, blueprint, guide, framework