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
Vos has been criss-crossing the former Eastern bloc and cutting real estate deals for nearly three decades.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
The bloc went forward with a carbon tax on imports that took effect in 2023 for large firms in select sectors.
—Justin Worland, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
European Union member states have voted to impose tariffs on a list of U.S. goods in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs on the bloc.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
The 27-member bloc was facing U.S. tariffs of 20% on most products and higher duties on autos and steel, but because its retaliatory tariffs have not been applied yet, the EU's duties were reduced to 10%.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloc
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Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
The bloc went forward with a carbon tax on imports that took effect in 2023 for large firms in select sectors.
—Justin Worland, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
European Union member states have voted to impose tariffs on a list of U.S. goods in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs on the bloc.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
The 27-member bloc was facing U.S. tariffs of 20% on most products and higher duties on autos and steel, but because its retaliatory tariffs have not been applied yet, the EU's duties were reduced to 10%.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Apr. 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 23 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"
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