block grant

noun

: an unrestricted grant made by the U.S. federal government to state and local governments to be used at their discretion to pay especially for social services that were formerly paid for through specific federal programs

Examples of block grant in a Sentence

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.
But the biggest change would be allocating K-12 education money directly to the states via block grants. Robert Farrington, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 Republicans have proposed saving costs by instead providing block grants, which could cap per-person spending, give states more flexibility in operating their programs and would potentially leave millions of people uninsured. Joseph Choi, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024 Two Milwaukee Common Council members are proposing contributing $100,000 in community development block grants to the youth shelter. Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024 An additional $24 billion would help farmers that have experienced crop or livestock losses, and $12 billion would go toward community development block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 18 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for block grant 

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of block grant was in 1966

Dictionary Entries Near block grant

Cite this Entry

“Block grant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/block%20grant. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

block grant

noun
: an unrestricted federal grant

More from Merriam-Webster on block grant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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