What does blocking mean?
Blocking is the act of preventing movement, access, or progress — whether a lorry blocking a lane, legislation blocking reform, or a defender blocking a shot. Beyond everyday obstruction, it carries a specialized meaning in theatre, film, and television, where blocking refers to the carefully planned positioning and movement of performers within a scene, typically worked out during rehearsal under the director's guidance. In sports such as American football and basketball, blocking describes using the body to legally impede opponents. The word functions chiefly as a noun naming this activity, though as the -ing form of the verb 'to block' it appears constantly in ordinary speech ('the view is blocked'). Its connotations are usually negative — delay, obstruction, frustration — which makes it useful for describing obstacles both physical and figurative. Few words span such different worlds as traffic jams and stagecraft, giving blocking a range that rewards attention to context.
The act of obstructing or preventing movement, access, or progress.
"His car was blocking the entrance to the car park."
Usually uncountable; often used attributively (e.g. 'a blocking move').
In theatre, film, and television, the planned pattern of performers' movements and positions on the stage or set.
"The cast ran through the blocking before adding dialogue."
A technical term in the performing arts; sometimes called 'stage blocking'.
Rarely pluralized; blocking is normally treated as an uncountable noun. A plural would be unusual outside technical contexts.
"The software logs all blocked calls and records repeated blockings of the same number."
Every film you've ever loved was choreographed down to the footstep — directors call invisible map 'blocking', borrowed straight from 19th-century theatre.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blocking
Blocking derives from the verb 'block', which entered English from Old French 'bloquer' in the late Middle Ages, ultimately rooted in the Old French 'bloc' meaning a log or solid mass, likely of Germanic (Frankish) origin. From the literal sense of placing a solid obstacle in the way came the figurative senses of hindering progress or preventing action. The theatrical sense of blocking emerged in nineteenth-century theatre practice, when directors used a miniature stage model with blocks representing actors to plan their positions — hence the name.
Related word forms
How blocking is actually used
As a noun, blocking is most often an uncountable mass noun referring to an activity or process. The theatrical sense is a technical term familiar to anyone in performing arts but may be unfamiliar to general readers. The verb form is simply the -ing form of 'block' and is far more common in everyday speech.
Easily confused with blocking
Blacking is a black pigment or polish, whereas blocking refers to obstructing something or planning stage movement.
Blockage is a noun denoting the thing or state that blocks (e.g. a blocked pipe), while blocking denotes the act of blocking itself.