fractious

adjective

frac·​tious ˈfrak-shəs How to pronounce fractious (audio)
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 What’s next Putin thinks the West is fractured and fractious, and will eventually permit him to gnaw at the weak points in its society and its defenses. Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 15 May 2024 As these seniors begin to pack up, many are seeking to make sense of their college experience amid fractious national political debates and rapid technological change. Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for fractious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fractious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of fractious was in 1714

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Dictionary Entries Near fractious

Cite this Entry

“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fractious. Accessed 19 May. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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