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

An unlikely alliance had emerged among Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a bloc led by former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

The Indiana effort soon flamed out conclusively; a bloc of Republicans in the state Senate voted it down, holding firm even amid bomb threats and swatting attacks. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

Impeachment politics next year could be driven by an incoming crop of progressive lawmakers who could form a sizable bloc in the caucus. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026

The Myanmar leader has also faced pressure from other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the regional bloc known as ASEAN, to end the civil war in his country. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 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"