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
Latin America is not a unified trading bloc like the EU.
—Morten Johansen, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
The chat between Musk and Weidel was being monitored by watchdogs from the European Commission, which has accused X of violating the 27-nation bloc’s sweeping digital rulebook for cleaning up social media platforms and protecting internet users from online harm.
—Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
This strengthens the sense that the centrist parties form a bloc or a cartel, and that voting for them doesn’t change anything, and therefore the only way to change anything is by voting for more radical parties.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2025
Earlier this year, the bloc’s AI Act — a first-of-its-kind AI regulatory framework — officially entered into force.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bloc 
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Morten Johansen, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
The chat between Musk and Weidel was being monitored by watchdogs from the European Commission, which has accused X of violating the 27-nation bloc’s sweeping digital rulebook for cleaning up social media platforms and protecting internet users from online harm.
—Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
This strengthens the sense that the centrist parties form a bloc or a cartel, and that voting for them doesn’t change anything, and therefore the only way to change anything is by voting for more radical parties.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2025
Earlier this year, the bloc’s AI Act — a first-of-its-kind AI regulatory framework — officially entered into force.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bloc
Dictionary Entries Near bloc
Cite this Entry
“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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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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