A Dictionary of the English Language
                        A Digital Edition of the 1755 Classic by Samuel Johnson
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Faction

View Scan · View Transcription · from page 759

View Scan · View Transcription · from page 759

Fa'ction. n.s. [faction, French; factio, Latin.]

  1. A party in a state.

    The queen is valued thirty thousand strong;
    If she hath time to breathe, be well assur'd
    Her faction will be full as strong as ours.     Shakes. Henry VI.

    He has been known to commit outrages,
    And cherish factions.     Shakespeare's Timon.

    Their hatred went so far, that by one of Simon's faction murders were committed. 2 Mac. iv. 9.

    By the weight of reason I should counterpoise the overbalancings of any factions. King Charles.

  2. Tumult; discord; dissension.

    They remained at Newbery in great faction among themselves. Clarendon.

Sources: The Bible - 2. Maccabees (14) · Charles I (27) · Clarendon, Edward (73) · Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3 (39) · Shakespeare's Timon of Athens (32)

Attributes: French (385) · Latin (690) · Noun Substantive (1269)

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Cite this page: Johnson, Samuel. "Faction." A Dictionary of the English Language: A Digital Edition of the 1755 Classic by Samuel Johnson. Edited by Brandi Besalke. Last modified: January 26, 2014. https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/faction/.

  1. The quote from 2. Maccabees is verse 3, not verse 9.

    2. Brandi on May 1st, 2013 at 6:12 pm

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