blockade

1 of 2

verb

block·​ade blä-ˈkād 

blockaded; blockading

transitive verb

1

: to subject to a blockade

2

: block, obstruct

blockader noun

blockade

2 of 2

noun

1

: the isolation by a warring nation of an enemy area (such as a harbor) by troops or warships to prevent passage of persons or supplies

broadly : a restrictive measure designed to obstruct the commerce and communications of an unfriendly nation

2

: something that blocks

3

: interruption of normal physiological function (such as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ

also : inhibition of a physiologically active substance (such as a hormone)

Synonyms

Verb

• guard

Noun

• siege

Examples of blockade in a Sentence

Verb

They blockaded the country's ports.

the militant protestors blockaded the whole area around city hall

Noun

it was the blockade of all the enemy's major ports that finally won the war

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Parliament and the president's office in Kenya's capital Nairobi were barricaded with razor wire, with all access roads blockaded by police. —Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025

Small fragments of volcanic debris probably fell like rain through the opening during the first phases of the eruption, causing the four people inside the home to rush to the bedroom and blockade it with a bed to protect themselves. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 17 May 2025

Noun

Locals had threatened peaceful blockades against the event on the day of. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 25 June 2025

President Abraham Lincoln had imposed a blockade on Confederate ports after the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, which kicked off the conflict. —Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of blockade entry 2

Noun

block entry 2 + -ade, after German (17th century) Blocquade, Bloquade, Bloquada & Dutch (17th century) Blocquade, Bloquade

Note: The German and Dutch words, which are common in accounts of contemporary events in Europe following the siege and sack of Magdeburg in 1631, are of uncertain origin. They appear to have no Romance antecedents. According to R. J. Brunt, The Influence of the French Language on the German Vocabulary: 1649-1735 (De Gruyter, 2013) "…Ger[man] Blockade probably derives from Ital[ian] bloccato, the past part[iciple] of the verb bloccare 'stringere con il blocco, privare di refornimenti" (p. 160). It seems much more likely however, as Brunt suggests in the same paragraph, that the word was formed from German bloquiren (present-day blockieren), attested earlier and probably borrowed from French blocquer (though in this sense the word is attested only slightly earlier). The suffix -ade/-ada is a distinct borrowing from Romance sources. The Dutch word may have been borrowed from German, or independently formed from blockeren "to enclose" (present-day blokkeren "to obstruct"), also borrowed from French.

First Known Use

Verb

1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing blockade

• blockade-runner
• counter-blockade

Rhymes for blockade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted
• cascade

Kids Definition

blockade

noun

block·​ade

blä-ˈkād

: the cutting off of an area by means of troops or warships to stop the coming in or going out of people or supplies

blockade verb

blockader noun

Medical Definition

blockade

1 of 2 noun

block·​ade blä-ˈkād 

1

a

: interruption of normal physiological function (as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ

b

: inhibition of a physiologically active substance (as a hormone)

2

: the process of reducing the phagocytic capabilities of the mononuclear phagocyte system by loading it with harmless material (as India ink or lampblack) which engages its cells in phagocytosis and prevents them from reacting to new antigenic material compare blocking antibody

blockade

2 of 2 transitive verb

blockaded; blockading

: to subject to blockade