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 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 ² British  

/ ˈfækʃən /

noun

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

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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

• factional
  adjective
• factionalism
  noun
• factionalist
  noun

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

Fatah is the only major faction on the ballot across the Palestinian territories, and is guaranteed victory in some districts because no opposition candidates are running.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Democratic transitions happen when individuals break from the ruling elite and launch a reform faction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Although he headed the hardline "principlist" faction - committed to the ideological principles of the Islamic revolution - during his first term, Larijani was described in later years as a "moderate conservative".

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Whatever their considerations were, there is clearly more than one faction inside the White House and the Department of Justice with a view.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

They replied that the house had belonged to members of the rebel faction, and had been requisitioned as barracks for Clavering’s Regiment, the 52nd.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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