infighting

1 of 2

noun (1)

in·​fight·​ing ˈin-ˌfī-tiŋ 

1

: prolonged and often bitter dissension or rivalry among members of a group or organization

bureaucratic infighting

2

: rough-and-tumble fighting

3

: fighting or boxing at close quarters

infight

ˈin-ˌfīt 

intransitive verb

infighter

ˈin-ˌfī-tər 

noun

infighter

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one that practices or is skilled at infighting

able political infighter

Synonyms of infighting

Noun (1)

• discord
• strife
• friction
• conflict
• discordance
• war
• schism
• warfare
• discordancy
• dissent
• division

Examples of infighting in a Sentence

Noun (1)

continued infighting has just completely robbed that political action committee of its effectiveness

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With the throne disengaged from governance, petitions and reports from officials piled up unread, crucial state posts went unfilled, and the imperial bureaucracy splintered amid poisonous factional infighting. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

With front lines frozen, infighting among pro-government factions — which had never been the happiest of allies — broke out into open war, causing a still-unresolved rift between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Tracy left the volunteer post after three years amid a flurry of party infighting. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Bitcoin leadership at that point appeared to be riven by infighting and strong personalities. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

in entry 4 + fighter

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for infighting

• alighting
• backbiting
• bullfighting
• daylighting
• delighting
• exciting
• firefighting
• handwriting
• highlighting
• igniting
• inciting
• indicting