bloc

noun

\ˈbläk

Definition of bloc

1a : 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

2a : 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

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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

Women never have and perhaps never will cast their ballots in a monolithic bloc. — The Voorhes, Glamour, "I'm a Woman in a Battleground State. Here's What Politicians Don't Understand About Me.," 21 Aug. 2018 With Wednesday's announcement of Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement, the liberal bloc of justices on the Supreme Court are left virtually powerless. — Thomas Novelly, The Courier-Journal, "McConnell: Trump's Supreme Court picks 'should be considered fairly'," 28 June 2018 Keen not to antagonize Germany’s neighbors, Merkel prefers an E.U.-wide solution and wants to wait until the outcome of a summit of the bloc's leaders on June 28. — NBC News, "Germany's Merkel faces political crisis over migrant policy," 15 June 2018 Mr Sadr’s electoral bloc, Sairoun, seeks to wrest power from Dawa, a Shia Islamist party that has led the government since 2005. — The Economist, "Burnt votes and an election recount might plunge Iraq into crisis," 14 June 2018 Austria's young government remains one of the loudest voices in Europe for securing the bloc's external border. — David Martin, USA TODAY, "U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell wants to 'empower' Europe's right," 4 June 2018 On May 10, Maryland’s 49 delegates to the upcoming Democratic convention voted their support for Vice President Hubert Humphrey and pledged to cast their votes as a bloc for his presidential candidacy. — Chris Kaltenbach, baltimoresun.com, "As May 1968 drew to a close, enthusiasm for Robert Kennedy's presidential bid was growing in Maryland," 23 May 2018 Coupled with the 1954 staging of the Great Buddhist Synod in Burma, there were signs that the consolidation of a Buddhist bloc was ripe for engagement. — Amar Diwakar, The New Republic, "Saffron Curtain: How Buddhism Was Weaponized During the Cold War," 23 Mar. 2018 But voter turnout won’t happen without some major efforts—especially among those 70 million eligible voters between ages 18 and 35, a group that is becoming the largest voting bloc in the country. — Rebecca Gale, Marie Claire, "How to Impact the Midterms, Even If You Don’t Live in a Swing State," 22 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bloc.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.