Facioun

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a group splitting off from a larger body to pursue its own aims ; a secret plot or quarrel that stirs up discord among people
2. A divisive band of people acting apart from the wider community ; a scheme hatched in secret or the bitter strife that such schemes produce
3. A party breaking away from a larger company to oppose it ; a conspiracy or the disagreement and unrest that follows from it

Etymology: The Latin "factio" meant "a making" or "a doing," from the verb "facere," "to make, do." Romans also used it for a political group working toward a shared aim, and that sense of a band of partisans is the one that stuck in English. Middle English took the word from Old French, and "facioun" was one of its spellings, so the word that now means a rebellious clique once simply meant an action or deed. Modern English "faction" was later re-spelled to match its Latin source, and "facioun" dropped out of use. The main surprise is how far the word's sense moved from its root: a verb meaning "to make" produced a noun for a group of people who have made trouble for the state.

Synonyms: faction, clique