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 FischlerSynonyms
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
Advertisement Politics Inside Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff’s L.A.
Jan. 7, 2024
Another Democrat could emerge to vie for the party’s nomination at the Chicago convention, but California’s bloc of delegates will be crucial in securing it.
—Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2024
What to watch: The biggest electoral impact from Saturday's stunning events could come courtesy of low-information and politically disengaged Americans, who are expected to make up a decisive voting bloc.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 14 July 2024
Despite anti-establishment right-wing gains across the bloc, the leadership of the bureaucracy that actually creates the policy in Brussels for all 27 member countries was nonetheless just handpicked in the backroom.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2024
For the third consecutive year, leaders of New Zealand, Japan and South Korea attended the NATO leaders’ summit in another sign of closer ties between the bloc and those countries, as well as Australia.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bloc 
Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2024
What to watch: The biggest electoral impact from Saturday's stunning events could come courtesy of low-information and politically disengaged Americans, who are expected to make up a decisive voting bloc.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 14 July 2024
Despite anti-establishment right-wing gains across the bloc, the leadership of the bureaucracy that actually creates the policy in Brussels for all 27 member countries was nonetheless just handpicked in the backroom.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2024
For the third consecutive year, leaders of New Zealand, Japan and South Korea attended the NATO leaders’ summit in another sign of closer ties between the bloc and those countries, as well as Australia.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bloc
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bloc.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bloc
Cite this Entry
“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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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