fact

adj. designed to find information or ascertain facts; as, a fact-finding committee.
Syn. -- investigative, investigatory. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. factio a doing, a company of persons acting together, a faction: cf. F. faction See Fashion. ] 1. (Anc. Hist.) One of the divisions or parties of charioteers (distinguished by their colors) in the games of the circus. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A party, in political society, combined or acting in union, in opposition to the government, or state; -- usually applied to a minority, but it may be applied to a majority; a combination or clique of partisans of any kind, acting for their own interests, especially if greedy, clamorous, and reckless of the common good. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Tumult; discord; dissension. [ 1913 Webster ]

They remained at Newbury in great faction among themselves. Clarendon.

Syn. -- Combination; clique; junto. See Cabal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. factionnaire, L. factionarius the head of a company of charioteers. ] Belonging to a faction; being a partisan; taking sides. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Always factionary on the party of your general. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One of a faction. Abp. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who promotes faction. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. factiosus: cf. F. factieux. ] 1. Given to faction; addicted to form parties and raise dissensions, in opposition to government or the common good; turbulent; seditious; prone to clamor against public measures or men; -- said of persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

Factious for the house of Lancaster. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to faction; proceeding from faction; indicating, or characterized by, faction; -- said of acts or expressions; as, factious quarrels. [ 1913 Webster ]

Headlong zeal or factious fury. Burke.

-- Fac"tious*ly, adv. -- Fac"tious*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. factitius, fr. facere to make. See Fact, and cf. Fetich. ] Made by art, in distinction from what is produced by nature; artificial; sham; contrived; formed by, or adapted to, an artificial or conventional, in distinction from a natural, standard or rule; not natural; as, factitious cinnabar or jewels; a factitious taste. -- Fac-ti"tious*ly, adv. -- Fac*ti"tious*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

He acquires a factitious propensity, he forms an incorrigible habit, of desultory reading. De Quincey.

Syn. -- Unnatural. -- Factitious, Unnatural. Anything is unnatural when it departs in any way from its simple or normal state; it is factitious when it is wrought out or wrought up by labor and effort, as, a factitious excitement. An unnatural demand for any article of merchandise is one which exceeds the ordinary rate of consumption; a factitious demand is one created by active exertions for the purpose. An unnatural alarm is one greater than the occasion requires; a factitious alarm is one wrought up with care and effort. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Fact. ] 1. Causing; causative. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Pertaining to that relation which is proper when the act, as of a transitive verb, is not merely received by an object, but produces some change in the object, as when we say, He made the water wine. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sometimes the idea of activity in a verb or adjective involves in it a reference to an effect, in the way of causality, in the active voice on the immediate objects, and in the passive voice on the subject of such activity. This second object is called the factitive object. J. W. Gibbs. [ 1913 Webster ]