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 FischlerSynonyms
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
The Black vote is a crucial bloc of Mr. Biden's support, and national polling has shown a slight but nonetheless significant decline in enthusiasm.
—Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 10 May 2024
The inability to maintain useful lines of communication with groups that represent a vocal, if small, bloc of Democratic voters could pose a significant problem for Mr. Biden’s re-election, given that the contest is likely to be determined by narrow margins in a few battleground states.
—Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for bloc 
Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 10 May 2024
The inability to maintain useful lines of communication with groups that represent a vocal, if small, bloc of Democratic voters could pose a significant problem for Mr. Biden’s re-election, given that the contest is likely to be determined by narrow margins in a few battleground states.
—Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for bloc
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bloc.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bloc
Cite this Entry
“Bloc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloc. Accessed 14 May. 2024.
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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