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

In April, the EU's top tribunal, the European Court of Justice found that the 2021 law violated "the very identity" of the bloc.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

On Friday, the European Union and China reached a deal that the bloc said could halve its imports of Chinese hybrid vehicles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Burnham's statement that Britain's relationship with the EU is "not good enough" also leads the Guardian, as it says he promises "serious dialogue" over the UK's relationship with the bloc.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Meanwhile France, the second-biggest European economy and a net contributor to the budget, argues the continent needs sufficient means to match the rising challenges the 27-country bloc faces.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

Almost all of the countries that place some restrictions on voting in prison are in Eastern Europe, part of the former Communist bloc.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Allans has been careful not to advocate a particular candidate or party – emphasising leadership rather than politicians, marshalling a new force, he says, outside traditional tribal voting blocs.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The piece also criticizes media and academic discussions that portray Latino men and Latinas as politically opposed blocs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

It eliminates tariffs on more than 90 percent of trade between the two blocs, which together account for 30 percent of global GDP and more than 700 million consumers.

From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026

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