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Synonyms

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
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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
faction 2 British  
/ ˈfækʃən /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.”

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” ( fact ) + -iōn- -ion

Origin of faction2

1965–70; blend of fact and fiction

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 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

Taylor, from the party's conservative faction, won the secret ballot, 34 votes to 17.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

Likely between age 8 and 15, she was enslaved by an ethnic Maya faction in present-day Tabasco state, though it is unclear if she was kidnapped or sold.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

“Sana can convince him. She’s not leader of her faction for nothing.”

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.