faction

¹

[ fak-shuhn ]

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

[ fak-shuhn ]

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

/ 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

faction

²

/ ˈfækʃən /

noun

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

faction

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.”

Derived Forms

• ˈfactionalist, noun
• ˈfactionalˌism, noun
• ˈfactional, adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of faction¹

C16: from Latin factiō a making, from facere to make, do

Origin of faction²

C20: a blend of fact and fiction

Example Sentences

Alonso testified that he’s seen the five-pointed star used by various gangs in L.A., including the Trouble Gangster Crips, about eight different Hoover gangs, and two factions of the Black P-Stones.

From Los Angeles Times

The post-election reaction from several factions of the left shows that MAGA’s crude and cruel comedy is changing our larger political culture.

From Salon

Herbert wove a complicated universe with oddball technologies, bizarre competing factions and religions that are easier to digest over the methodical consumption of hundreds of pages.

From Salon

The Fremen, whose home planet is Arrakis, where Spice is mined, bedevil the miners and the troops that protect them and, as the indigenous population battling imperial usurpers, are the faction you should root for.

From Los Angeles Times

There are competing factions on the question of what a color actually is — or if it’s anything more than a figment of our imagination.

From Salon

Related Words

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