bloc

noun

ˈbläk 

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

Synonyms of bloc

• faction
• party
• coalition
• wing
• side

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

During the consultations, factions totaling 67 members of the Israeli parliament supported Eisenkot, and a bloc of 46 members supported Netanyahu, who leads the Likud party, according to the president's office. — Jamie Dorrington, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026

Eisenkot, a former military chief, ran as the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a bloc of parties seeking to oust Israel’s longest-serving leader. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Even bringing United Torah Judaism into the four-party opposition bloc would leave Eisenkot short of the 61 seats needed for an outright parliamentary majority. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

The four parties that make up the main bloc opposing Netanyahu won 48 of the Knesset's 120 seats. — CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, block

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bloc

• en bloc
• sterling bloc

Rhymes for bloc

• balk
• baulk
• bock
• broch
• brock
• calk
• caulk
• chalk
• chock
• clock
• cock
• croc

Kids Definition

bloc

noun

ˈbläk 

: a combination of persons, groups, or nations united by treaty, agreement, or common interest

a bloc of voters

Etymology

French, literally, "block"