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

Rising healthcare costs are forcing some older Americans to draw down retirement savings or consider skipping medication, making affordability a major concern for a highly motivated voting bloc. — Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

The results released early Friday showed Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats in Tuesday's election. — Cara Anna, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026

Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, while the opposition bloc, led by former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats and the Arab parties the remaining 19 seats. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026

Together, Eisenkot's bloc and the Arab parties would command a comfortable parliamentary majority of more than 67 seats. — Itay Stern, NPR, 30 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"