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

For farming communities historically dependent on the coca industry, the initiative marks a shift away from years of fractious relations with the state. — Angie Acosta M, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026

Though the Marvel Comics co-creator is the film’s subject, his fractious relationship with a former road manager named Max Anderson is its focus. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 14 July 2026

The event gave William and Kate a chance to show their star power after a week in which royal reporting was dominated by his younger brother’s fractious efforts to rebuild bridges with their father, according to Newsweek’s Jack Royston. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

There, the heads of NATO’s 32 member countries are gathered for the transatlantic alliance’s annual summit, amid a rather fractious atmosphere. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026

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

Rhymes for fractious

• factious

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