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
In fact, the Biden administration has outsourced much of the responsibility for Myanmar to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a 10-country regional bloc of which Myanmar is a member.
—Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
The alleged fraud is likely to renew concerns about the misuse of the EU’s €800-billion recovery fund to help revive the bloc’s economy.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The United States and Caricom, a regional trade bloc, have pledged to help form a transitional government in the country, but that plan has yet to materialize.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
The United States has ceded the role of broker in negotiations to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional trading bloc.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
The largest congressional bloc — Popular Force — has backed multiple impeachment motions since 2017 that have forced out three presidents.
—Marcelo Rochabrun, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
This largest bloc of the electorate could go Republican or Democratic, deciding everything.
—Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Malta also has among the bloc’s most open laws on marijuana, allowing adults to carry up to seven grams, though smoking in public is still prohibited.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Other public bodies in the European Union could soon face similar problems, just as the bloc rolls out some of the most sweeping and impactful AI regulations in the world.
—Fox News, 22 Mar. 2024
Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
The alleged fraud is likely to renew concerns about the misuse of the EU’s €800-billion recovery fund to help revive the bloc’s economy.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The United States and Caricom, a regional trade bloc, have pledged to help form a transitional government in the country, but that plan has yet to materialize.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
The United States has ceded the role of broker in negotiations to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional trading bloc.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
The largest congressional bloc — Popular Force — has backed multiple impeachment motions since 2017 that have forced out three presidents.
—Marcelo Rochabrun, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
This largest bloc of the electorate could go Republican or Democratic, deciding everything.
—Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Malta also has among the bloc’s most open laws on marijuana, allowing adults to carry up to seven grams, though smoking in public is still prohibited.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Other public bodies in the European Union could soon face similar problems, just as the bloc rolls out some of the most sweeping and impactful AI regulations in the world.
—Fox News, 22 Mar. 2024
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 18 Apr. 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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