Factions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Coalitions formed based on shared goals or beliefs display internal divisions vying for influence within a broader entity while also reflecting subdivisions that may contest or cooperate with one another
2. Organized subdivisions commonly manifest within larger bodies, often engaging in rivalry for authority, while also representing political or social entities that may negotiate or conflict
3. Parts of a larger group that form based on alignment but often compete for control among themselves

Etymology: The Latin word "factio" meant "a group of people acting together," and its root verb "facere" simply meant "to do" or "to make." English took the noun through Middle French, so a faction was, at its core, a band of people who had made themselves into a group. Its political sense of rival partisans inside a larger body came with that original idea of collective action. The most surprising twist is that "faction" has a second, unrelated-looking ancestry in English. It is a doublet of "fashion," meaning that both words descend from the same Latin source by different routes, one through French and one through a more everyday path. Few readers would guess that a word for political infighting and a word for clothing style share a root.

Synonyms: groups, cliques, parties, coteries, sections

Antonyms: unity, harmony, cohesion, solidarity, agreement