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

In the six states listed above, voting is generally racially polarized, with Black voters a major voting bloc for the Democratic Party. — Rahul Mukherjee, NPR, 23 July 2026

That’s due to an European Commission announcement on Thursday that American tech juggernaut Google will be fined 890 million euros (close to $1 billion) for allegedly violating the trade bloc’s Digital Markets Act. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 23 July 2026

Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has tightened its control over the anti-Houthi bloc by forcing the United Arab Emirates to abandon its role in the conflict. — David Brennan, ABC News, 23 July 2026

The bloc said the tech giant had illegally used its market dominance to prioritize its own search services, as well as preventing developers from steering customers towards cheaper alternatives. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 23 July 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"