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
Given the size and importance of the northern bloc, overt repression of Tchiroma was much riskier for Biya.
—Yonatan Morse, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Cambodia recently applied to join, too, while the EU is pushing agreements with India and with a South American bloc, and China has pressed for a Gulf deal.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The bloc decided not to use 210 billion euros of frozen Russian assets to fund its aid for Ukraine.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
The decision is expected to be reflected in the Commission’s 2026 work program for the European Defence Fund, the bloc’s main vehicle for financing joint military research and development.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
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Yonatan Morse, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Cambodia recently applied to join, too, while the EU is pushing agreements with India and with a South American bloc, and China has pressed for a Gulf deal.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The bloc decided not to use 210 billion euros of frozen Russian assets to fund its aid for Ukraine.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
The decision is expected to be reflected in the Commission’s 2026 work program for the European Defence Fund, the bloc’s main vehicle for financing joint military research and development.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 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 20 Dec. 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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