bloc

American  

[blok] / blɒk /

noun

• blocs
  plural

1. a group of persons, businesses, etc., united for a particular purpose.

2. a group of legislators, usually of both major political parties, who vote together for some particular interest.

   the farm bloc.

3. a group of nations that share common interests and usually act in concert in international affairs.

   the Soviet bloc.

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bloc British  

/ blɒk /

noun

1. a group of people or countries combined by a common interest or aim

   the Soviet bloc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• blocs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bloc

From French, dating back to 1900–05; see origin at block

Explanation

A group that unites, especially for a political or economic purpose, is a bloc. The European Union is a bloc of countries that share common economic, social, and security policies. A trade or political bloc is formed when countries (or states) unite around a common goal. The E.U., for example, sometimes operates almost as a single nation, especially when it comes to trading goods and services with other countries around the world. A voting bloc is a category of voters who tend to cast their ballots the same way; the "religious right" is one example of a voting bloc. The term comes from the French bloc, or "group."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bloc blocs

According to Nate Silver, Americans with advanced degrees and incomes of $30,000 to $60,000 are the most Democratic voting bloc.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The bloc said in 2021 that it would cut the number of emissions allowances on the market, sending their price soaring, which in turn helped drive up the price of power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The EU's new pact, which was nearly 10 years in the making, introduces mandatory screening and an updated database to track those arriving in the bloc.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The opposition was meanwhile represented by Dinorah Figuera, leader of the political bloc that won a majority in the 2015 National Assembly, the last legislature elected in a vote widely recognized by the international community.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

With six full suffrage states and two million female voters, there already existed a readymade voting bloc with the potential to influence state and national elections.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Seeds of the idea for blocs within the bloc were sown decades ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Both blocs have fallen short of the 90 seats that are needed for a majority in Denmark's 179-seat parliament.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

For the government’s central bloc to successfully pass legislation, it requires at least some support from one of the other blocs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

After all, that transition is similar to what happened with Irish and Italian voting blocs during the mid-20th century.

From Slate ● Dec. 10, 2025

According to the skeptics, Maya society was divided into a small number of blocs, each controlled by a dominant city, each striving to achieve some semblance of empire.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• association
• faction