factional

[ fak-shuh-nl ]

adjective

1. of a faction or factions.
2. self-interested; partisan:

   Factional interests had obstructed justice.

Other Words From

• fac·tion·al·ism noun
• fac·tion·al·ist noun
• in·ter·fac·tion·al adjective
• un·fac·tion·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of factional¹

First recorded in 1640–50; faction ¹ + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Most were issued over relatively modest local or factional party disputes.

From FiveThirtyEight

Aware that factional faultlines may emerge after his death—perhaps causing the clerical regime to suffer the same fate as the Soviet Union—Khamenei is doing all he can to ensure his Islamist ideology outlives him.

From Time

The authorities, initially at least, had widespread cross-factional political support.

From The Daily Beast

To improve the quality of life, factional disputes are being cast aside.

From The Daily Beast

But whereas before, discipline used to flow from elected leadership down, today it flows from factional leadership up.

From The Daily Beast

As a consequence, the leadership transition is fraught with conspiracies and fierce factional infighting.

From The Daily Beast

The factional balance between elitists and populists is no longer at equilibrium.

From The Daily Beast

The strength of the new party was frittered away in doctrinaire factional strife between the single taxers and the socialists.

From Project Gutenberg

This factional struggle greatly complicates every revolutionary movement.

From Project Gutenberg

The struggle for place is continued as a factional fight within the newly ruling crowd.

From Project Gutenberg

We were too near the fight still, and there were party wounds to be bound up and little factional sores that had to be healed.

From Project Gutenberg

It is very painful to me that you in Missouri cannot or will not settle your factional quarrel among yourselves.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• atypical
• conflicting
• contradictory
• contrary
• different
• disparate
• dissimilar
• diverse
• various