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faction

 - 6 dictionary results

fac⋅tion

1  [fak-shuhn]
Use faction in a Sentence
–noun
1. a group or clique within a larger group, party, government, organization, or the like: a faction in favor of big business.
2. party strife and intrigue; dissension: an era of faction and treason.
Origin:
1500–10; < L factiōn- (s. of factiō) a doing, company, equiv. to fact(us) done (see fact ) + -iōn- -ion

Synonyms:
2. discord, disagreement, schism, split, friction.

fac⋅tion

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.
Origin:
1965–70; b. fact and fiction
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To faction
fac·tion 1   (fāk'shən)   
n.  

  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·tion 2   (fāk'shən)   
n.  

  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.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

faction

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.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

faction 
1509, from L. factionem (nom. factio) "political party, class of persons," lit. "a making or doing," from facere "to do" (see factitious). In ancient Rome, "one of the companies of contractors for the chariot races in the circus."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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