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

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
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.
The Saudis invited Syria to repudiate Iran and rejoin the Arab bloc. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 Yet now, in the span of twenty-four hours, every significant voting bloc to the left of Macron had joined together. Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024 Recently, European Union officials have cited reports showing China has been producing drones for Russia's military efforts, prompting the 27-member bloc to mull sanctions. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024 One proposal put forward by the EFA is to create a Made in Europe label to add cultural cachet to goods made in the bloc. Rhonda Richford, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bloc 

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, block

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloc was in 1903

Dictionary Entries Near bloc

Cite this Entry

“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids 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"

More from Merriam-Webster on bloc

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