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factional

[ fak-shuh-nl ]

/ ˈfæk ʃə nl /

|

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR factional ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of a faction or factions.

self-interested; partisan: Factional interests had obstructed justice.

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Nearby words

Origin of factional

First recorded in 1640–50; faction¹ + -al¹

Related formsfac·tion·al·ism, nounfac·tion·al·ist, nounin·ter·fac·tion·al, adjectiveun·fac·tion·al, adjective

Can be confusedfactional factious fractious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for factional

To improve the quality of life, factional disputes are being cast aside.
Kurdish Militias Drive Out Jihadists, Bring Stability Back to Parts of Syria|Jamie Dettmer|November 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But whereas before, discipline used to flow from elected leadership down, today it flows from factional leadership up.
Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Political Parties|David Frum|October 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The factional balance between elitists and populists is no longer at equilibrium.
Xi Jinping and the Princelings Take Power in China|Melinda Liu|November 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Make no mistake, there is a factional fight under way in Texas.
Texas Senate Primary: Elite vs. Elite|David Frum|July 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The factional divisions inside the GOP are deep, and increasingly reflect regional divides that are as much cultural as political.
The GOP’s Chaotic Primary Calendar Makes Early Nomination Clinch Tough|John Avlon|February 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Under Speaker Carlisle, this power to censor proposals was made conspicuous through the factional war in the Democratic party.
The Cleveland Era|Henry Jones Ford
Provincial governors were dismissed wholesale solely for factional advantage.
The South American Republics Part I of II|Thomas C. Dawson
When his high-handed behavior resulted in a factional split, she sided with those who rejected his domination.
Emma Goldman|Charles A. Madison
We are losing all moral prestige in the eyes of the world, with our small jealousies and factional struggles for power.
The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Volume II|Elizabeth Barrett Browning
This unpeaceful and factional condition was not confined to Bologna, but spread throughout the Papal States.
A Short History of Italy|Henry Dwight Sedgwick

Word Origin and History for factional

factional

adj.

1640s, from faction + -al (1).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper