faction

¹ American  

[fak-shuhn] / ˈfæk ʃən /

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

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faction ² American  

[fak-shuhn] / ˈfæk ʃən /

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.

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faction ¹ British  

/ ˈfækʃən /

noun

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

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faction ² British  

/ 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

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faction Cultural  

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.”

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Other Word Forms

• factionalism
  noun
• factionalist
  noun
• factional
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of faction¹

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

Origin of faction²

1965–70; blend of fact and fiction

Explanation

Fractions are smaller parts of whole numbers: one-quarter, one-tenth, one-half, and a faction is a smaller portion of a larger group that breaks away from it. A faction might take a fraction of the people from a large group and start a new group. The Latin source of the word faction means to "do" or "make," though a faction can seem to be a taking away or un-doing. Politics is one area where faction gets a lot of use, because a political party often starts with a large group but has some members who disagree with a belief or direction. These members separate from the larger party and become a faction of their own, with many of the same beliefs as the original group but with a few new differences, too.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

faction

With training from Iran and the Lebanese faction Hezbollah, they evolved from a ragtag band of fighters with sandals and Kalashnikovs to a disciplined force fielding missiles and manufacturing its own projectiles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

They were filled with intense passion and rivalry and faction and conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

In November 2025, a faction of the party, which observers say represented the majority of members, held a contentious national convention in Ibadan, Oyo state, despite court orders attempting to stop it.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The video even featured images of former presidential aide Andriy Yermak and parliamentary faction leader David Arakhamia, alongside blurred photographs of other figures within Zelensky's entourage.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Fearful that ongoing war would mean utter destruction of their nation, a faction of Shawnee accepted a peace agreement that meant giving up some of their autonomy and the territory they used as hunting grounds.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

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