n.
- A group of persons forming a cohesive, usually contentious minority within a larger group.
- Conflict within an organization or nation; internal dissension: "Our own beloved country . . . is now afflicted with faction and civil war" (Abraham Lincoln).
[French, from Latin factiō, factiōn-, from factus, past participle of facere, to do.]
factional fac'tion·al adj.factionalism fac'tion·al·ism n.
factionally fac'tion·al·ly adv.
fac·tion2 (făk'shən)
n.
- A form of literature or filmmaking that treats real people or events as if they were fictional or uses real people or events as essential elements in an otherwise fictional rendition.
- A literary work or film that is a mix of fact and fiction.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
