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

• 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 Europe, blocs are built on consensus—27 countries all needing to agree—so, understandably, they get stuck. —Koray Köse, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Albania hopes to join the 27-member bloc by 2030. —Nino Paoli, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025

The change Republicans approved doesn’t have a cap on the number of nominees in a bloc. —Al Weaver, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025

Yet within the bloc, that strategy also faces more opposition than ever, as Europeans and their businesses grapple with high energy prices relative to the US. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2025

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"