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faction¹ Definition

fac·tion (fak′s̸hən)

noun

  1. a group of people inside a political party, club, government, etc. working in a common cause against other such groups or against the main body
  2. partisan conflict within an organization or a country; dissension

Etymology: < Fr faction & L factio, a making, doing, faction < pp. of facere, do

faction¹ Related Forms

fac′·tional adjective fac′·tion·ally adverb

faction² Definition

☆ fac·tion (fak′s̸hən)

noun

a kind of fiction based on or incorporating recognizable historical events, real people, etc.

Etymology: a blend of fact & fiction

faction Synonyms

faction

n.

  1. An organized group

    bloc, cabal, contingent, division, combine, party, gang, crew, wing, claque, junta, clique, conclave, conspiracy, intrigue, splinter party, splinter group, set, clan, club, lobby, camp, inner circle, sect, coterie, partnership, cell, unit, mob, Mafia, side, camarilla, machine, tong, band, pressure group, team, machine, ring, knot, circle, concern, sector, guild, Black Hand, Camorra, cadre, schism, entente, outfit*, crowd*, in-group*, bunch*. *

  2. Tendency to break into warring groups

    dissension, quarrelsomeness, disunity, schism; see disagreement 1.

faction Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • contend: The management of this mighty kingdom has hitherto been a subject for contending factions to try their selfish experiments upon.
  • feud: He devoted the rest of his life to uniting China's feuding factions.
  • oppose: The groups are members of opposing political factions, each aiming to be the first to land on Earth.
  • compete: Both had to be retained to satisfy competing factions.
  • unite: How far to hold onto unity how to find a way through that will somehow unite the two opposing factions.
  • war: Maybe to keep the warring factions apart - I don't know!

Adjective modifier

  • Kurdish: The US could be wary of identifying itself too closely with Kurdish factions in the north or marsh Arabs in the south.
  • rival: By January 1934 the major threat to Hitler's position was the Party itself, consisting of various rival factions.
  • Stalinist: A Stalinist faction took over the student group and was against inviting him.
  • opposing: How far to hold onto unity how to find a way through that will somehow unite the two opposing factions.
  • Yorkist: At the battle of Towton in 1461 - Britain's bloodiest battle - the Yorkist faction had as many as 20,000 archers.
  • Trotskyist: But neither of the two main Trotskyist factions was monolithic in its reaction to war.

Modifies a noun

comrade: The faction comrades repeat some false accusations regarding the treatment of representatives of the CWI at the SSP conference.

Noun used with modifier

  • breakaway: Categories may be split and merged as breakaway factions emerge.
  • Bolshevik: Kirov now joined the Bolshevik faction of the Social Democratic Party.
  • rebel: The other is that some pockets here are controlled by Sudanese rebel faction, the Sudan People's Liberation Army ( SPLA ).
  • opposition: Meanwhile, the United States called for a meeting of all opposition factions in Nasiriyah Tuesday.
  • ruling: Meeting up with David Campbell and Susan, The timelord must once intervene in a war between the ruling factions vying to unite England.

Preposition: in

parliament: By voting against it, they helped the pro-war faction in parliament to win the day and left the Parliament voiceless.

Preposition: of

bourgeoisie: Even there power was wielded by bankers and big merchants, the most aristocratic faction of the bourgeoisie.