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
That would allow measures to pass with a simple majority of the 27 national leaders representing roughly two-thirds of the bloc's population.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Some politicians have even proposed invoking Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU, a legal measure that could revoke Hungary’s voting rights in the bloc.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The marble bloc was found in a hall of baptism called a photisterion.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
As ideological blocs collapsed, political scientist Samuel Huntington’s influential 1996 book Clash of Civilizations articulated a growing anxiety that globalization would harden into cultural antagonism rather than consensus.
—Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bloc
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ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Some politicians have even proposed invoking Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU, a legal measure that could revoke Hungary’s voting rights in the bloc.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The marble bloc was found in a hall of baptism called a photisterion.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
As ideological blocs collapsed, political scientist Samuel Huntington’s influential 1996 book Clash of Civilizations articulated a growing anxiety that globalization would harden into cultural antagonism rather than consensus.
—Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bloc
Cite this Entry
“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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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