fractious
adjective
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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
Bryan Walsh, Vox, 1 July 2024
In it, income disparity and climate change bring society to the brink of collapse, which doesn’t exactly bode well for what will likely be a fractious presidential election.
—Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2024
Hunter Biden is also in the middle of a fractious multimillion-dollar alimony case with his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, who is expected to testify for the prosecution at the gun trial.
—Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 13 June 2024
Since October 2023, American Jews have been engaged in an intense, fractious debate over Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
—Marjorie N. Feld, The Conversation, 20 June 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fractious. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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