faction

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faction

discord, disagreement, schism, split, friction; a group or clique within a larger group: A faction in the government wants to rewrite the Constitution.; dissension: a time of faction and strife

Not to be confused with:

fiction – literature consisting of imaginative stories and characters, as novels and short stories: Her book is a work of fiction.; the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining; fable, fantasy

fac·tion¹

(făk′shən)

1. A group of persons forming a cohesive, usually contentious minority within a larger group.

2. Conflict within an organization or nation; internal dissension: "Our own beloved country ... is now afflicted with faction and civil war" (Abraham Lincoln).

[French, from Latin factiō, factiōn-, from factus, past participle of facere, to do; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]

fac′tion·al adj.

fac′tion·al·ism n.

fac′tion·al·ly adv.

fac·tion²

(făk′shən)

1. A form of literature or filmmaking that treats real people or events as if they were fictional or uses real people or events as essential elements in an otherwise fictional rendition.

2. A literary work or film that is a mix of fact and fiction.

[Blend of fact and fiction.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

faction

(ˈfækʃən)

1. a group of people forming a minority within a larger body, esp a dissentious group

2. strife or dissension within a group

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

ˈfactional adj

ˈfactionalˌism n

ˈfactionalist n

faction

(ˈfækʃən)

(Broadcasting) a television programme, film, or literary work comprising a dramatized presentation of actual events

[C20: a blend of fact and fiction]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fac•tion

(ˈfæk ʃən)

n.

1. a group or clique within a larger party or organization.

2. party strife and intrigue; dissension.

[1500–10; < Latin factiō action of making, social connections, faction]

Faction

a company of people acting together, of ten a contentious group; a set or class of people. See also cabal, clique, junta.

Examples: factions of collegians, monks, and canons, 1530; of evil, 1614; of fools, 1606.

faction

A retelling of a story concerning real people and events, but which imaginatively constructs dialogue and incident where no factual record exists.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	faction - a clique (often secret) that seeks power usually through intrigue cabal, camarilla, junto clique, coterie, ingroup, inner circle, camp, pack - an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose cabalist - a member of a cabal
	2.	faction - a dissenting clique sect clique, coterie, ingroup, inner circle, camp, pack - an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose splinter group - a faction or sect that has broken away from its parent organization left wing, left - those who support varying degrees of social or political or economic change designed to promote the public welfare right wing, right - those who support political or social or economic conservatism; those who believe that things are better left unchanged old guard - a faction that is unwilling to accept new ideas pro-choice faction - those who argue that the decision to have an induced abortion should be made by the mother pro-life faction - those who argue that induced abortion is killing and should be prohibited

faction

noun

1. group, set, party, division, section, camp, sector, minority, combination, coalition, gang, lobby, bloc, contingent, pressure group, caucus, junta, clique, coterie, schism, confederacy, splinter group, cabal, ginger group A peace agreement will be signed by the leaders of the country's warring factions.

2. dissension, division, conflict, rebellion, disagreement, friction, strife, turbulence, variance, discord, infighting, disunity, sedition, tumult, disharmony, divisiveness Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.
dissension accord, peace, agreement, friendship, unity, consensus, harmony, goodwill, rapport, assent, unanimity, concord, amity

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

faction

noun

1. A group of individuals united in a common cause:

bloc, cartel, coalition, combination, combine, party, ring.

2. A state of disagreement and disharmony:

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

facción bando

faction

[ˈfækʃən] N → facción f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

faction

(ˈfӕkʃən) noun

a group or party that belongs to, and usually dissents from, a larger group. facción

References in classic literature ?

The Same Subject Continued (The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection) From the Daily Advertiser.

AMONG the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction. The friend of popular governments never finds himself so much alarmed for their character and fate, as when he contemplates their propensity to this dangerous vice.

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A FIRM Union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the States, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection.

The utility of a Confederacy, as well to suppress faction and to guard the internal tranquillity of States, as to increase their external force and security, is in reality not a new idea.

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In the meantime, he was strengthening his own faction in the kingdom, of which he proposed to dispute the succession, in case of the King's death, with the legitimate heir, Arthur Duke of Brittany, son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, the elder brother of John.

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The Celtic blood was up, and the Celtic faction spirit ran high.

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Two factious governed it--a grave faction and a gay faction.

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To restrain the Venetians the union of all the others was necessary, as it was for the defence of Ferrara; and to keep down the Pope they made use of the barons of Rome, who, being divided into two factions, Orsini and Colonnesi, had always a pretext for disorder, and, standing with arms in their hands under the eyes of the Pontiff, kept the pontificate weak and powerless.

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Also, when discords, and quarrels, and factions are carried openly and audaciously, it is a sign the reverence of government is lost.

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Here are plots and circumventions, parties and factions, equal to those which are to be found in courts.

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Now there were pro-Nelson and anti-Nelson factions on the Oakland water-front, and men of both factions, with more drink in them than was good, filled the car.

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I do not, of course, mean that there are not battles, conspiracies, tumults, factions, and all those other phenomena which are supposed to make History interesting; nor would I deny that the strange mixture of the problems of life and the problems of Mathematics, continually inducing conjecture and giving the opportunity of immediate verification, imparts to our existence a zest which you in Spaceland can hardly comprehend.

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