bloc

noun \ ˈbläk \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of bloc

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

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See bloc defined for kids

Examples of bloc in a Sentence

a voting bloc in the senate
a whole bloc of students got together to complain

Recent Examples of bloc from the Web

The rise in populism in this part of the EU is often explained as a consequence of failure to communicate that accession to the bloc was more than just an economic transaction.

— sara miller llana, The Christian Science Monitor, "Could power of the euro rein in Poland and Hungary where rule of law has not?," 17 May 2018
Battleground voters Both parties made efforts in the 2016 presidential election to pursue the Asian American and Pacific Islander voting bloc, part of the fastest growing racial group in the country.

— chris fuchs /, NBC News, "Before Obama, Asian Americans voted Republican. The GOP wants to bring them back.," 15 May 2018
Whoever wins will still need to reach out to other blocs, including Sunni and Kurdish coalitions, to form a governing alliance.

— jamie tarabay, CNN, "As votes come in, Iraqi PM's hold on power looks shaky," 14 May 2018
The threat of a trade war adds to a list of risks that are making businesses less willing to invest, including the imminent end of European Central Bank stimulus, Britain’s planned exit from the bloc, and political deadlock in Italy.

— jack ewing, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump delays tariffs, but US allies are still annoyed," 2 May 2018
Some of those who've launched attacks in Europe were radicalised in jails, and has prompted the bloc to look seriously at how to tackle the grass-root causes of extremist violence.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "After ‘slavery’ in prison, exoneree explains how to end solitary confinement on Texas death row," 26 Apr. 2018
Most trade and commerce must be handled through rules governing the 28-nation bloc, not individual member states.

— laura king, The Seattle Times, "Macron, Merkel to press Trump to save nuke deal with Iran," 22 Apr. 2018
Several Republican lawmakers said Friday that, barring an unlikely deal between McCarthy and the conservative bloc, Jordan's run all but ensures that the leadership elections will be put off until November.

— mike debonis, chicagotribune.com, "House Speaker Paul Ryan backs Kevin McCarthy, his No. 2, to lead House GOP," 13 Apr. 2018
Keen Brexiteers have long hailed the Commonwealth as an alternative to the European Union, most hopefully as a would-be trading bloc, at a time when Europe has been growing a lot more slowly than countries in the Commonwealth.

— The Economist, "Is the Commonwealth a plausible substitute for the EU?," 12 Apr. 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.