faction

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: fac=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

faction, n. [L. factio a doing, a company of persons acting together, a faction: cf. F. faction See Fashion.].

•  One of the divisions or parties of charioteers (distinguished by their colors) in the games of the circus.  [1913 Webster]
•  A party, in political society, combined or acting in union, in opposition to the government, or state; -- usually applied to a minority, but it may be applied to a majority; a combination or clique of partisans of any kind, acting for their own interests, especially if greedy, clamorous, and reckless of the common good.  [1913 Webster]
•  Tumult; discord; dissension.  [1913 Webster]

  "They remained at Newbury in great faction among themselves."

Syn. -- Combination; clique; junto. See Cabal.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

faction, n.
1 a small organized dissentient group within a larger one, esp. in politics.
2 a state of dissension within an organization.

faction, n. a book, film, etc., using real events as a basis for a fictional narrative or dramatization.

Etymology

blend of FACT and FICTION

THESAURUS

faction

American Party, Anti-Monopoly Party, Bull Moose Party, Communist Party, Conservative Party, Constitutional Union Party, Democratic Party, Democratic-Republican Party, Farmer-Labor Party, Federalist Party, Free Soil Party, Greenback Party, Know-Nothing Party, Labour Party, Liberal Party, Liberal Republican Party, Liberty Party, National Republican Party, Populist Party, Progressive Party, Prohibition Party, Republican Party, Socialist Labor Party, Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party, Tammany Hall, Tory Party, Whig Party, affiliation, age group, aggressiveness, antagonism, argumentation, band, battalion, bellicosity, belligerence, bevy, bickering, bloc, body, branch, breakaway group, brigade, bunch, cabal, cadre, camarilla, camp, cast, caucus, church, circle, city hall, clannishness, clanship, clash, clashing, clique, cliqueyness, cliquishness, cliquism, coalition, cohort, combativeness, combine, communion, community, company, complement, conflict, contention, contentiousness, contingent, contradiction, controversy, corps, coterie, covey, crew, crowd, denomination, denominationalism, detachment, detail, difference, disaccord, disaccordance, disagreement, discord, discordance, discordancy, discrepancy, disharmony, disparity, dissension, dissent, dissidence, dissonance, disunion, disunity, divergence, diversity, division, esprit de corps, ethnic group, ethnocentricity, exclusiveness, factionalism, factiousness, fellowship, flak, fleet, gang, group, grouping, groupment, in-group, inaccordance, inequality, infighting, interest, interest group, intrigue, irascibility, irritability, jarring, junta, junto, litigiousness, lobby, machine, major party, minor party, minority group, mob, movement, multiple party system, negation, offshoot, one-party system, opposition, opposition party, oppugnancy, order, organization, out-group, outfit, pack, part, partiality, partisan spirit, partisanism, partisanship, party, party in power, party spirit, peer group, persuasion, phalanx, platoon, political machine, political party, posse, pressure group, pugnacity, quarrelsomeness, regiment, religious order, repugnance, rift, ring, rupture, salon, schism, school, sect, sectarianism, sectarism, sectionalism, sedition, segment, set, shrewishness, side, silent majority, society, splinter, splinter group, splinter party, split, squad, stable, strife, string, team, third party, tribe, troop, troupe, two-party system, unharmoniousness, variance, variety, version, vocal minority, wing

ROGET THESAURUS

faction

Party

N party, faction, side, denomination, communion, set, crew, band, horde, posse, phalanx, family, clan, team, tong, council, community, body, fellowship, sodality, solidarity, confraternity, familistere, familistery, brotherhood, sisterhood, knot, gang, clique, ring, circle, group, crowd, in-crowd, coterie, club, casino, machine, Tammany, Tammany Hall, corporation, corporate body, guild, establishment, company, copartnership, partnership, firm, house, joint concern, joint-stock company, cahoot, combine, trust, society, association, institute, institution, union, trades union, league, syndicate, alliance, Verein, Bund, Zollverein, combination, Turnverein, league offensive and defensive, alliance offensive and defensive, coalition, federation, confederation, confederacy, junto, cabal, camarilla, camorra, brigue, freemasonry, party spirit, Confederates, Conservatives, Democrats, Federalists, Federals, Freemason, Knight Templar, Kuklux, Kuklux Klan, KKK, Liberals, Luddites, Republicans, Socialists, Tories, Whigs staff, dramatis personae, in league, in partnership, in alliance, bonded together, banded together, linked, joined together, embattled, confederated, federative, joint, hand in hand, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, en masse, in the same boat.

Discord

N discord, disagreement, discord, disaccord, dissidence, dissonance, jar, clash, shock, jarring, jostling, screw loose, variance, difference, dissension, misunderstanding, cross purposes, odds, brouillerie, division, split, rupture, disruption, division in the camp, house divided against itself, disunion, breach, schism, feud, faction, quarrel, dispute, tiff, tracasserie, squabble, altercation, barney, demel_e, snarl, spat, towrow, words, high words, wrangling, jangle, brabble, cross questions and crooked answers, snip-snap, family jars, polemics, litigation, strife, warfare, outbreak, open rupture, declaration of war, broil, brawl, row, racket, hubbub, rixation, embroilment, embranglement, imbroglio, fracas, breach of the peace, piece of work, scrimmage, rumpus, breeze, squall, riot, disturbance, commotion, bear garden, Donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair, subject of dispute, ground of quarrel, battle ground, disputed point, bone of contention, bone to pick, apple of discord, casus belli, question at issue, vexed question, vexata quaestio, brand of discord, troublous times, cat-and-dog life, contentiousness, enmity, hate, Kilkenny cats, disputant, strange bedfellows, discordant, disagreeing, out of tune, ajar, on bad terms, dissentient, unreconciled, unpacified, contentious, quarrelsome, unpacific, gladiatorial, controversial, polemic, disputatious, factious, litigious, litigant, pettifogging, at odds, at loggerheads, at daggers drawn, at variance, at issue, at cross purposes, at sixes and sevens, at feud, at high words, up in arms, together by the ears, in hot water, embroiled, torn, disunited, quot homines tot sententiae, no love lost between them, non nostrum tantas componere lites, Mars gravior sub pace latet, discord, discordance, dissonance, cacophony, want of harmony, caterwauling, harshness, Babel, Dutch concert, cat's concert, marrowbones and cleavers, discordant, dissonant, absonant, out of tune, tuneless, unmusical, untunable, unmelodious, immelodious, unharmonious, inharmonious, singsong, cacophonous, harsh, jarring.