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
Forging this fractious coalition was key to Trump’s return to power, and the fate of his second term likely depends on his ability to keep it together.
—
Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
With the subsequent expansions of NATO in the years since the Cold War ended, the alliance has become ever more fractious and diverse.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
In our fractious political climate, people sometimes think divergent expert opinions mean that consensus does not exist, or no experts can be trusted.
—Micah Altman, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
For similar reasons, Seftel keeps politics outside the frame – those extremely fractious debates over gun rights and gun protections that can render young victims of shootings an afterthought.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
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Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
With the subsequent expansions of NATO in the years since the Cold War ended, the alliance has become ever more fractious and diverse.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
In our fractious political climate, people sometimes think divergent expert opinions mean that consensus does not exist, or no experts can be trusted.
—Micah Altman, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
For similar reasons, Seftel keeps politics outside the frame – those extremely fractious debates over gun rights and gun protections that can render young victims of shootings an afterthought.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fractious. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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