blockage

noun

block·​age ˈblä-kij 

: an act or instance of obstructing : the state of being blocked

a blockage in a coronary artery

Examples of blockage in a Sentence

He had surgery to open up blockages in his arteries.

trying to prevent blockage of the artery

Recent Examples on the Web

Homer Glen attorney Mike Pasquinelli said the village could hire an independent contractor or consultant to identify which areas have potential blockages. —Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026

Some motorists looking to get around the blockage used Montgomery Street, although the traffic wasn’t much better there. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026

Many oil tankers are stuck outside the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s coast, and the blockage has sent Brent crude’s price to nearly $120 per barrel at times. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026

The bill also makes anyone who blocks streets, such as protesters, able to be held civilly liable in court for damages caused as a result of the blockage. —Dan Raby, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blockage

• dockage
• lockage

Kids Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: an act or instance of blocking : the state of being blocked

a blockage in an artery

Medical Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: the action of blocking or the state of being blocked: as

a

: blockade sense 2

b

: internal resistance to understanding a communicated idea, to learning new material, or to adopting a new mode of response because of existing habitual ways of thinking, perceiving, and acting compare blocking

Legal Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age

: the condition of a large block of items of property (as shares of stock) that requires special valuation for purposes of estate and gift tax because the value of the items sold as a block differs from their value if sold individually