Infightings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A struggle or conflict occurring within a group, organization, or community, often characterized by intense rivalry or competition
2. Internal disputes among members that can lead to division and weakened solidarity
3. A contentious atmosphere marked by discord and fighting for power or influence among individuals in the same faction

Etymology: "Infightings" is simply the plural of "infighting," so its history is the history of that base noun. "Infighting" is formed from "in-" and "fighting," and the idea is literal: in boxing, "infighting" means close-quarters punching, where fighters stand chest to chest rather than trading blows at arm's length. The sense of a struggle within a group grew out of that image of combatants pressed inside one another's reach. The word has an older English ancestor. Old English had "infiht," meaning a close fight or infighting, and Middle English produced "infighten," meaning to attack. The modern compound took shape from the same building blocks, so the English word has a continuous line of use stretching back over a thousand years, even though its figurative meaning of factional rivalry is the later development.