fractious

adjective

frac·​tious ˈfrak-shəs 

1

: tending to be troublesome : unruly

a fractious crowd

2

: quarrelsome, irritable

a fractious political campaign

fractiously adverb

fractiousness noun

Did you know?

The Latin verb frangere means "to break or shatter" and is related to a few common words, which is evident in their meanings. Dishes that are fragile break easily. A person whose health is easily broken might be described as frail. A fraction is one of the many pieces into which a whole can be broken. But fraction also once meant "disharmony" or "discord"—that is, a "rupture in relations." From this noun sense came the adjective fractious.

Examples of fractious in a Sentence

The fractious crowd grew violent.

Recent Examples on the Web

Scholz's fractious three-party coalition government collapsed in early November, when the chancellor fired his finance minister in a dispute over how to revitalize Germany's stagnant economy. —H.j. Mai, NPR, 16 Dec. 2024

But the Federalists were a fractious bunch, and their internal squabbles — including over the Fries pardon — played a key role in the 1800 defeat. —Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Syria's political future therefore carries global significance, and all eyes will be watching as its new leaders seek to control the fractious country, navigate its complex alliances, and rebuild a nation scarred by years of conflict and division. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Below are ten performances that broke through the noise of this fractious, tumultuous year. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

fract(ion) (in sense "rupture, discord, breach of the peace") + -ious (after captious, factious)

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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