Definition of bloc
1a : a temporary combination of parties in a legislative assemblyb : a group of legislators who act together for some common purpose irrespective of party lines
2a : a combination of persons, groups, or nations forming a unit with a common interest or purpose a bloc of votersb : a group of nations united by treaty or agreement for mutual support or joint action
Read the Latest from M-W
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
-
Relations took a dive in November 2015 after Israel derided a decision by the bloc to label products made in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
-
Most political observers argue that the Democrats’ path to the governorship is through Baltimore City and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties -- each a party stronghold and three of the state’s four biggest voting blocs.
-
Meanwhile, Trump rose to power by ginning up the fervor of a supposedly small voting bloc that believed (wrongly) that its needs were being ignored.
-
Voice of America started broadcasting in Russian to the eastern bloc, peddling the principles of American democracy.
-
Despite a go-it-alone ethos, residents of the 13 counties in the northern bloc are much more likely to receive government medical assistance than those in the Bay Area.
-
Despite a go-it-alone ethos, residents of the 13 counties in the northern bloc are much more likely to receive government medical assistance than those in the Bay Area.
-
In the 2015 election, Likud earned 43 percent of the vote in Sderot, to just 7 percent for Labor's bloc.
-
Despite a go-it-alone ethos, residents of the 13 counties in the northern bloc are much more likely to receive government medical assistance than those in the Bay Area.
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.
Origin and Etymology of bloc
French, literally, block
BLOC Defined for English Language Learners
bloc
playDefinition of bloc for English Language Learners
-
: a group of people or countries that are connected by a treaty or agreement or by common goals
Learn More about bloc
-
See words that rhyme with bloc Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bloc Spanish Central: Translation of bloc Nglish: Translation of bloc for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bloc for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up bloc? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!