building block

American  

noun

building blocks plural

1. block.

2. one of a set of cube-shaped blocks used by children to make simple constructions.

3. a basic element or component.

   the building blocks of proteins.

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building block British  

noun

1. a block of stone or other material, larger than a brick, used in building

2. a component that fits with others to form a whole

   standardized software building blocks

3. another name for (the child's toy) block

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• building blocks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of building block

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

building block

In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers found that tubulin, a protein that serves as the building block of microtubules, may help prevent these toxic accumulations.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

It will be a building block and a key ingredient in every new “unicorn” — a company with a valuation of at least $1 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026

In its primordial form, liberalism was a political belief that the building block of society is the individual—an idea tethered loosely to the Christian notion that every single human being contains a divine spark.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

Speaking to TNT Sports, returning captain John McGinn suggested that the result had provided Villa with a "building block" and the opportunity to "reset" after a difficult few weeks.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026

Trouble, Jesse often declared, was the building block of character.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• constituent
• ingredient