faction

¹

[fak-shuhn]

noun

1. a group or clique within a larger group, party, government, organization, or the like, typically having different opinions and interests than the larger group.

   a faction in favor of big business; rival factions within the company.

2. party strife and intrigue; dissension.

   an era of faction and treason.

   Synonyms: friction, split, schism, disagreement, discord

faction

²

[fak-shuhn]

noun

Informal.

1. a form of writing or filmmaking that treats real people or events as if they were fictional or uses them as an integral part of a fictional account.

2. a novel, film, play, or other presentation in this form.

faction

¹

/ ˈfækʃən /

noun

1. a group of people forming a minority within a larger body, esp a dissentious group

2. strife or dissension within a group

faction

²

/ ˈfækʃən /

noun

1. a television programme, film, or literary work comprising a dramatized presentation of actual events

faction

1. A group formed to seek some goal within a political party or a government. The term suggests quarrelsome dissent from the course pursued by the party or government majority: “His administration is moderate, but it contains a faction of extremists.”

Other Word Forms

• factionalist noun
• factionalism noun
• factional adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of faction¹

First recorded in 1500–10; < Latin factiōn- (stem of factiō ) “a doing, company, division,” equivalent to fact(us) “done, made” ( fact ) + -iōn- -ion

Origin of faction²

1965–70; blend of fact and fiction

Word History and Origins

Origin of faction¹

C16: from Latin factiō a making, from facere to make, do

Origin of faction²

C20: a blend of _fact and _fiction

Example Sentences

Many are affiliated with political factions that are rivals of Hamas and have a history of clashing with the militant group.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Deftly unraveling the tangled politics of the moment, Mr. Wallace vividly shows La Guardia juggling factions of fusionist Republicans, communists, interventionists, isolationists, Tammany pols and a rat’s nest of the city’s fierce ethnic rivalries.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Given these competing interests, analysts fear that a power struggle could break out between rival military factions in the post-Museveni era.

Read more on BBC

He is seen by many as the one man who could unite Palestinians - and the various Palestinian political factions - across both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Read more on BBC

But the US-brokered ceasefire agreement appears to acknowledge that Hamas and other Palestinian factions may not have been able to find all hostage remains before the initial deadline on Monday.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bloc 
• clan 
• gang 
• junta 
• minority 
• party 
• sect 
• side 
• wing