faction
FAK-shun
/ˈfæk.ʃən/
A small organized dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics.
Implies internal friction, disagreement, and splintering within a political party, government, or military movement.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'factio' (a making, doing, or political party), from 'facere' (to do or make). In ancient Rome, 'factio' referred to political alliances and charioteer fan groups that competed fiercely in civic arenas.
Word relationships
- clique: A clique is a small exclusive social group, while a faction operates with specific political or strategic goals inside an organization.
- splinter group: Emphasizes that the subgroup has broken away completely from the parent organization.
- unified whole: A completely cohesive group acting with single-minded consensus.
Commonly confused with
- friction: Friction is the conflict or resistance between groups; a faction is the organized dissenting group generating that conflict.
Word family
- factional (adjective): Relating to or characterized by internal disagreement.
- factionalism (noun): Frequent conflict between internal groups.
Collocations
- rival faction
- warring factions
- political faction
- dissident faction
Example sentences
- "A rival faction within the ruling party attempted to force the prime minister's resignation." Political news report
- "James Madison warned in Federalist No. 10 against the dangers of rival political factions tearing the republic apart." Constitutional analysis
Memory hook
Fractions break into FACTIONS. A split group inside a larger whole.
When not to use
Do not use to describe an entire unified country or an external invading force.
Fun facts
- In ancient Rome's Circus Maximus, chariot racing fans were divided into four main factions: the Blues, Greens, Reds, and Whites.
Related words
Also appears in
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