# factional

/ˈfækʃənəɫ/ (US) · /fˈækʃənəl/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/factional
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

relating to small groups inside a bigger group that compete or argue with each other. You use it when a party, team, or country splits into sides that fight for power.

For teachers: Pertaining to a faction or to conflict between competing factions within a larger group or organization.

## Examples

- The party suffers from deep factional splits.
- The council delays the vote because factional rivalries prevent members from agreeing on a leader.
- The historian traced the empire's collapse not to foreign invasion but to persistent factional intrigue that eroded central authority over decades.

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the noun it modifies; often collocates with 'dispute', 'rivalry', 'split', and 'violence'.

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