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
Another potential issue that experts have flagged in discussions around higher defense spending are the European Union’s fiscal rules, which could get in the way of the bloc’s members taking on more debt.
—Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 24 June 2025
Members in Central and Eastern Europe—united in their suspicion of Russia—supported the idea, but a bloc of NATO’s older members, led by France and Germany, were skeptical.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.
—Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
The party will look to bridge the divide between an activist base that is skeptical of foreign interventions and already critical of U.S. support for Israel and more traditional Democrats and independents who make up a sizable, if not always vocal, voting bloc.
—Adriana Gomez Licon, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
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.
Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 24 June 2025
Members in Central and Eastern Europe—united in their suspicion of Russia—supported the idea, but a bloc of NATO’s older members, led by France and Germany, were skeptical.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.
—Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
The party will look to bridge the divide between an activist base that is skeptical of foreign interventions and already critical of U.S. support for Israel and more traditional Democrats and independents who make up a sizable, if not always vocal, voting bloc.
—Adriana Gomez Licon, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 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 8 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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share