1
a
: a temporary combination of parties in a legislative assembly
b
: a group of legislators who act together for some common purpose irrespective of party lines
2
a
: a combination of persons, groups, or nations forming a unit with a common interest or purpose
a bloc of voters
b
: a group of nations united by treaty or agreement for mutual support or joint action
3
: a quantity, number, or section of things dealt with as a unit : block
… seeking to buy and sell a large bloc of shares …—
Stuart Washington
Stuart WashingtonPotvin's outstanding bloc of games during his rookie campaign occurred during the 1993 playoffs.—Stan Fischler
Stan FischlerExamples of bloc in a Sentence
a voting bloc in the senate
a whole bloc of students got together to complain
Recent Examples on the Web
The 27-member bloc imposed tariffs on electric vehicles over allegations Chinese producers benefit from unfair subsidies.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Trump on Sunday also announced an additional 10% tariff on any countries aligning with BRICS — an economic bloc including founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
The gathering is the bloc’s second summit since its expansion in 2023 to include five new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
As well as new members, the bloc has 10 strategic partner countries, a category created at last year’s summit that includes Belarus, Cuba and Vietnam.
—Mauricio Savarese, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
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Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Trump on Sunday also announced an additional 10% tariff on any countries aligning with BRICS — an economic bloc including founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
The gathering is the bloc’s second summit since its expansion in 2023 to include five new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
As well as new members, the bloc has 10 strategic partner countries, a category created at last year’s summit that includes Belarus, Cuba and Vietnam.
—Mauricio Savarese, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
Cite this Entry
“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bloc
noun
: a combination of persons, groups, or nations united by treaty, agreement, or common interest
a bloc of voters
Etymology
French, literally, "block"
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