A group of persons forming a cohesive, usually contentious minority within a larger group.
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.
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.
A literary work or film that is a mix of fact and fiction.
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.”
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."