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
Wine Terms to Know Structure Intensity of flavor, richness of body, acidity, and tannins are all building blocks that lend structure to wine.
—
Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
This four-tone greeting is not a specific communication per-se, but the nucleotides of guanine, uracil, adenine, and cytosine, which represent the building blocks of RNA.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The formula combines antioxidant-rich grape seed and sweet almond oils with polypeptides (long chains of amino acids that act as building blocks for collagen and elastin) to help boost skin’s elasticity and resilience.
—Jamie Ballard, Allure, 14 Nov. 2025
View gallery - 7 images Functioning a little like oversized Lego, the versatility of shipping containers ensures that architects never run out of ideas for using them as building blocks.
—New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for building block
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Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
This four-tone greeting is not a specific communication per-se, but the nucleotides of guanine, uracil, adenine, and cytosine, which represent the building blocks of RNA.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The formula combines antioxidant-rich grape seed and sweet almond oils with polypeptides (long chains of amino acids that act as building blocks for collagen and elastin) to help boost skin’s elasticity and resilience.
—Jamie Ballard, Allure, 14 Nov. 2025
View gallery - 7 images Functioning a little like oversized Lego, the versatility of shipping containers ensures that architects never run out of ideas for using them as building blocks.
—New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for building block
Cite this Entry
“Building block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/building%20block. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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