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
Potvin's outstanding bloc of games during his rookie campaign occurred during the 1993 playoffs.Stan Fischler

Examples 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
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.
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

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, block

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloc was in 1903

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids 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"

More from Merriam-Webster on bloc

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