bloc

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /blɑk/ UK /blɒk/ See IPA manual

Homophones

block /blɑk/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like black /æ/ vs /ɑ/ Sounds like bloke /ɑ/ vs /oʊ/

Meanings

1

noun
a group of countries or parties united by a common interest or purpose

The trading bloc imposed joint tariffs on imported steel.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a group of countries or... alliance coalition union league faction group federation cartel

Word family

Related forms block

Etymology

From French bloc ('block, group'), borrowed in the early 20th century in political senses; ultimately from Old French bloc ('log, block'), of Germanic origin (Middle Dutch blok, 'tree trunk').

bloc Old French blok Middle Dutch

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# bloc

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /blɑk/
**IPA (UK):** /blɒk/

## Meanings
1. a group of countries or parties united by a common interest or purpose

## Examples
- The trading bloc imposed joint tariffs on imported steel.

## Synonyms
- alliance
- coalition
- union
- league
- faction
- group
- federation
- cartel

## Related Forms
- block

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bloc
- Root: blok

## Etymology
From French bloc ('block, group'), borrowed in the early 20th century in political senses; ultimately from Old French bloc ('log, block'), of Germanic origin (Middle Dutch blok, 'tree trunk').

## AI Etymology
Bloc comes from French bloc ('block, group'), borrowed in the early 20th century in political senses; ultimately from Old French bloc ('log, block'), of Germanic origin (Middle Dutch blok, 'tree trunk'). The historical trail runs through bloc in French and blok in Middle Dutch. Used as a noun, bloc now means "a group of countries or parties united by a common interest or purpose", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as block. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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