factious

/ˈfækʃəs/

//ˈfækʃəs// adj

"factious" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“factious” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, pertaining to, or caused by factions.

Corpus desk

Index EN-factious · factious · English

factious · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "F" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for factious
PropertyValue
Headwordfactious
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfækʃəs/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “factious” in English

factiousranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

factious is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈfækʃəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for factious, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin factiosus (“divisive; inclined to separate”); derivative of factio. The correct English form is factious, spelled F-A-C-T-I-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, pertaining to, or caused by factions.
  2. 2
    Given to or characterized by discordance or insubordination.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how factious appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I heard that she left off powder, patches, and rouge, for a month when his third consort died, and he grew religious—whether out of grief or gratitude, I never heard; then she grew factious, for the sake of your own King, and thought to strew the way to the altar with straws instead of flowers. I applaud her spirit in fighting for a crown.

Etymology

From Latin factiosus (“divisive; inclined to separate”); derivative of factio.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "factious"?
"factious" is spelled F-A-C-T-I-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfækʃəs/.
What does "factious" mean?
As an adjective, "factious" means: Of, pertaining to, or caused by factions.
How do you pronounce "factious"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "factious" is /ˈfækʃəs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "factious"?
From Latin factiosus (“divisive; inclined to separate”); derivative of factio. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list