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 FischlerExamples 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
Von der Leyen’s comments come after retaliatory duties were announced by the bloc after the U.S. imposed tariffs on last month in a bid to protect European workers and consumers.
—Lim Hui Jie,sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025
The bloc has been split in its reaction to the arrest warrants.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
González, aligned with Latin America’s leftist bloc, has pledged to restore ties with Mexico and strengthen relationships with progressive leaders like Brazil’s Lula da Silva and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Driving the news: Europe is gearing up to fine Meta for alleged violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the bloc's competition law for digital firms, per reports from the New York Post and the Financial Times.
—Ashley Gold, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lim Hui Jie,sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025
The bloc has been split in its reaction to the arrest warrants.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
González, aligned with Latin America’s leftist bloc, has pledged to restore ties with Mexico and strengthen relationships with progressive leaders like Brazil’s Lula da Silva and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Driving the news: Europe is gearing up to fine Meta for alleged violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the bloc's competition law for digital firms, per reports from the New York Post and the Financial Times.
—Ashley Gold, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
Cite this Entry
“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share