building block

noun

: a unit of construction or composition
especially : something essential on which a larger entity is based

Examples of building block in a Sentence

historically the infantry division has been a basic building block of armies
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, while Kubernetes provides the essential building blocks—such as auto-scaling, self-healing and rolling updates—add-ons are still necessary to extend functionality for specific operational needs, such as networking, policy-as-code, storage management and security. Ben Ofiri, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 In a nutshell, the building blocks of any electoral consensus are weak at best. Chris Jackson, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024 But an even more profound conviction underpinned this element of the WCTU platform: that the Anglo-Saxon family was the essential building block of American society. Elizabeth Marshall / Made By History, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024 Baker and his team harnessed the power of computers to decode how amino acid chains, the building blocks of proteins, fold into specific three-dimensional shapes. Christine Clarridge, Axios, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for building block 

Word History

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of building block was in 1756

Dictionary Entries Near building block

Cite this Entry

“Building block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/building%20block. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

building block

noun
: a unit of construction or composition
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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