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Glite Dictionary
to factionalize

to factionalize

1 8.7
To make a group or organization split into smaller groups that disagree
  • verb
  • /ˈfækʃənəˌlaɪz/
  • US
translation icon : faccionar
  • Historian Laurence M. Hauptmann says the Oneidas were deeply factionalized and suffering an economic crisis in 1933.
  • factionalize the movement
  • become factionalized

Examples

  • For instance, one said, "Outsider points of view can often be valuable, especially if the insiders are factionalized."

    Academic text (1996)

  • The DPP, too, gave some appearance of being factionalized.

    Academic text (1992)

  • What I am sensing is that this incident may be factionalized at school.

    Blog text (34)

  • Second, the regime continued to factionalize to the advantage of soft-liners, especially pragmatists.

    Academic text (2014)

  • This leaves ample room for centrifugal ideological differences that tend to factionalize movements.

    Academic text (2001)

  • A key problem is the degree to which Iranian politics have become factionalized, paralyzing economic policymaking.

    Academic text (2004)

  • These differences created centrifugal pressures toward internecine conflict that factionalized the movement into disparate groups.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Until 1980, the EPLF and the increasingly factionalized ELF fought an intermittent but bloody civil war.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Second, both the Sunnis and the Shiites are highly factionalized, at the national political level and at the level of neighborhood militias and gangs.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The recent disagreements among the committee members could factionalize the organization into rival groups.

Synonyms

to polarize
vsto factionalize
  • Literature
23 7.2

Make people or groups divide into two opposing sides

causes split into several smaller opposing groups rather than two sides
to splinter
vsto factionalize
11 6.2

To leave a group and form a smaller, separate one often after disagreement

causes internal splits into opposing subgroups rather than single departures
to balkanize
vsto factionalize
2 9.9

Divide a country or group into smaller, often hostile, parts

splits into opposing smaller groups without implying territory or ethnicity
to disunite
vsto factionalize
1 7.0

To cause people or groups to separate

creates opposing smaller groups within rather than mere separation
to disunify
vsto factionalize
1 7.9

To make a group that was together become divided

produces opposing internal groups rather than just general division
to polarize opinions
vsto factionalize
  • Literature
7.1

Make people split into groups with opposite views and strong disagreement

creates many small opposing groups inside an organization rather than just debate
to hyperpolarize
vsto factionalize
9.6

Make opinions or groups become very divided, often in politics

splits into smaller opposing groups but without extreme intensity
to fragmentize
vsto factionalize
8.2

To break something into many small pieces

splits people into opposing smaller groups rather than physical pieces
to partisanize
vsto factionalize
  • Specialized
9.9

To recruit people to become armed fighters in a war

divides an organization into opposing internal groups without recruiting fighters

Antonyms

to integrate
179 4.1

To join things or ideas so they form one whole

to unify
65 3.7

To bring people or things together into one group

How Divisive

to shatter
48 4.6
to polarize
  • Literature
23 7.2
to factionalize
  • US
1 8.7
to splinter
11 6.2
to split
513 1.3
to divide
680 1.1

Surface Forms

factionalize infinitive
factionalized past
factionalized past participle
factionalizing present participle
factionalizes third person singular

Morphology

factionalize = factional (transparent) = faction + al + ize

The verb is formed by adding the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize' to the adjective 'factional', yielding 'to make or cause to be factional'.

Etymology

The word factionalize comes from faction, which means 'a small group' or party, plus the ending -ize, which means 'to make'. So to factionalize is to 'make' smaller groups from a larger one, or to split an organization into smaller, often opposing, groups.