faction
/ˈfækʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfækʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfak-shən/ (ame, mw)
faction — noun
1. a smaller subset of people inside a political party, company, or other larger bo
a smaller subset of people inside a political party, company, or other larger body who hold views or pursue goals that differ from those of the majority
A moderate faction within the ruling party proposed a tax reform that surprised the leadership.
faction within [organization] — prepositional pattern
Rival factions at the university argued for months about the new rules for student clubs.
rival factions — adjective collocation
After the election, the left-wing faction left the main party and formed its own group.
A radical faction in the student council demanded that all fees be abolished immediately.
- splinter group
stronger implication of having broken away from the main body
- wing
more neutral term for a broad ideological division within a party
- clique
negative tone, suggesting a small group seeking personal advantage
- the majority
the main bloc of people from which a faction differs
- the mainstream
the dominant or widely accepted position within a group
文法句型
faction + of + noun phrase
faction + within + noun phrase
用法筆記
Do not confuse with 'fiction' (imaginary stories). In political and organizational English, 'faction' always refers to real people. The plural 'factions' is common when describing several competing subgroups.
常見錯誤
2. a condition of ongoing disagreement and hostility among people who belong to the
a condition of ongoing disagreement and hostility among people who belong to the same organization or political body, often hidden from people outside that group
Too much faction among the executives blocked any agreement on the merger.
faction among [group] — uncountable pattern
The prime minister warned that internal faction would weaken the party's ability to pass new laws.
Bitter faction divided the sports club after the coach resigned following a financial dispute.
Years of faction within the volunteer group drove away many of its most active members.
- dissension
more formal and focuses on disagreement of opinion
- discord
emphasizes lack of harmony rather than organized division
- strife
stronger, often implying open conflict or fighting
文法句型
faction + among + plural noun phrase
faction + within + noun phrase
用法筆記
In this uncountable sense, 'faction' describes an atmosphere or condition rather than a specific group. It often appears in formal writing about politics or organizations. Frequently paired with adjectives such as 'bitter', 'deep', or 'internal'.
常見錯誤
faction — noun combining form
1. a word part borrowed from Latin that attaches to the end of a base word and mean
a word part borrowed from Latin that attaches to the end of a base word and means 'the act or process of making or producing something,' seen in many nouns that end with the letters -fication
'Purification' uses the combining form -fication to express the process of making something clean.
-fication = process of making [adjective]
The beautification of the town square included new trees, flower beds, and stone benches for visitors.
beautification — -fication noun in a real urban-planning context
The suffix -fication appears in words like 'beautification,' meaning the act of making something beautiful.
After the water tests showed contamination, the plant's purification system ran nonstop for a week.
文法句型
[verb/noun stem] + -fication
用法筆記
This combining form is not an independent word; it only appears as part of longer nouns. Common examples include 'classification' (arranging into groups), 'purification' (making clean), 'beautification' (making beautiful), and 'glorification' (giving praise). The related verb suffix is '-fy' (e.g., 'classify', 'purify').