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

The bloc, which had a long-standing presence inside Haiti, currently does not have a diplomat assigned to Haiti, and the only Caribbean nation that has a diplomatic presence is The Bahamas. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026

Israel’s Housing Ministry issued a notice inviting bids for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units in E1 near Jerusalem, which aims to create a continuous bloc of Jewish settlements from East Jerusalem to the West Bank. — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Tier 1 includes countries and blocs that deal in large volumes of goods tied to China, but also maintain diversified industrial bases. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

According to the Florida Division of Elections, independents make up a large bloc of the electorate. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 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"