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
For every bloc with one demand that must be met before its members will support the measure, there is another demanding the opposite.
—Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 20 May 2025
The two victims were both aides to Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, a key member of the Morena ruling bloc and a close ally of President Claudia Sheinbaum, herself a former mayor of the capital.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Leon Neal | Afp | Getty Images The U.K. and European Union announced a landmark deal to reset relations Monday after Britain’s acrimonious exit from the bloc in 2020.
—Holly Ellyatt,silvia Amaro, CNBC, 19 May 2025
By pulling away from Europe, Trump could be incentivizing the bloc to up its defense spending, which would allow America to divert more of its resources toward countering China.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
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Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 20 May 2025
The two victims were both aides to Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, a key member of the Morena ruling bloc and a close ally of President Claudia Sheinbaum, herself a former mayor of the capital.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Leon Neal | Afp | Getty Images The U.K. and European Union announced a landmark deal to reset relations Monday after Britain’s acrimonious exit from the bloc in 2020.
—Holly Ellyatt,silvia Amaro, CNBC, 19 May 2025
By pulling away from Europe, Trump could be incentivizing the bloc to up its defense spending, which would allow America to divert more of its resources toward countering China.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 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 28 May. 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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