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
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to stay in his post after his ruling bloc was projected to lose its majority in the country’s upper house of parliament.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 20 July 2025
Last year, the European Union implemented its own standards for the industry, with rules that required coin issuers and infrastructure providers to be authorized by the bloc’s regulators.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The bloc is hurrying to reach a trade deal before then.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 18 July 2025
At a meeting in Brussels on Monday, trade ministers said the E.U. is preparing retaliatory measures in response to Trump hitting the bloc with 30% tariffs, which are set to take effect on Aug. 1.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 16 July 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.
J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 20 July 2025
Last year, the European Union implemented its own standards for the industry, with rules that required coin issuers and infrastructure providers to be authorized by the bloc’s regulators.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The bloc is hurrying to reach a trade deal before then.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 18 July 2025
At a meeting in Brussels on Monday, trade ministers said the E.U. is preparing retaliatory measures in response to Trump hitting the bloc with 30% tariffs, which are set to take effect on Aug. 1.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 16 July 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 25 Jul. 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