bloc
Americannoun
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a group of persons, businesses, etc., united for a particular purpose.
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a group of legislators, usually of both major political parties, who vote together for some particular interest.
the farm bloc.
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a group of nations that share common interests and usually act in concert in international affairs.
the Soviet bloc.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing bloc
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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Eastern Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The EU insists the bloc must boost productivity and cut unemployment to offset the effects of a shrinking workforce.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
In response, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen tasked the panel to come up with advice backed by evidence on how the 27-nation bloc should tackle the issue.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
That staunchly pro-EU stance was driven partly by concerns that exiting the bloc would encourage Spanish sovereignty claims on the Rock.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Both concepts caught on: Schengen, with 29 countries, is now larger than the bloc, and 21 countries have adopted the euro.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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
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
"With 77 seats, we have nearly quadrupled our parliamentary presence and become one of the strongest opposition blocs in modern Bangladeshi politics," he said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
