| Main Entry: | splinter group |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | breakaway group |
Synonyms: |
breakaway party, dissenting group, faction, groupuscule, off-shoot, political faction, religious sect, schismatic, seceder |
| Main Entry: | faction |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | group sharing a belief or cause |
Synonyms: |
band, bloc, bunch, cabal, camp, caucus, cell, circle, clan, clique, club, coalition, combination, combine, combo, concern, conclave, confederacy, conspiracy, contingent, coterie, crew, crowd, design, division, entente, gang, guild, insiders, intrigue, junta, knot, lobby, machine, minority, mob, network, offshoot, outfit, partnership, party, pressure group, ring, schism, sect, section, sector, set, side, splinter group, team, unit, wing |
| Notes: | a faction is a group of people forming a cohesive, usually contentious, minority from within a larger group; a fraction is a small part or item of something forming a piece of a whole |
Antonyms: |
entirety, total, whole |
| Main Entry: | schism |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | separation |
Synonyms: |
alienation, break, breakup, difference, disagreement, discord, dissension, disunion, division, divorce, faction, fissure, fracture, gap, parting, rift, rupture, secession, splinter group, split |
| Main Entry: | secession |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | withdrawal |
Synonyms: |
breakaway, breakup, defection, disaffiliation, dissension, disunion, division, exiting, parting, rift, rupture, schism, separation, splinter group, split |
| Main Entry: | sect |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | school of thought |
Synonyms: |
camp, church, communion, connection, creed, crew, cult, denomination, division, faction, faith, following, group, order, party, persuasion, religion, school, splinter group, team, wing |
| Main Entry: | minority |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | an outnumbered group |
Synonyms: |
less than half, opposition, splinter group, the few, the outnumbered, the outvoted |