infighting means fighting or quarreling among the members of a single group or side. It carries an Arena rating of 1534, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, infighting ranks #2,183 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #3,515 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #3,831 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #4,355 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
Why “infighting” is a great word
Destructive conflict between individuals who are nominally on the same side, originating from the English prefix 'in-' (meaning 'within, inside') combined with 'fighting'. Its Old English precursor *infiht* evidences the concept's ancient lineage, with the modern term first recorded in English between 1810–20. Unlike 'strife', which broadly describes conflict between distinct parties, or 'debate', which implies a structured, often constructive forum, infighting is the corrosive friction turned inward. It is the hissed accusation in the committee room after the public vote of unity, the strategic leak meant to cripple a rival's promotion, and the quiet erosion of a shared cause into a scramble for the dwindling spoils—a testament to the peculiar human talent for crafting enemies from the people standing beside us.
Etymology
From in- + fighting. Compare Middle English infighten (“to attack”), Old English infiht (“infighting”).
noun
- Fighting or quarreling among the members of a single group or side.e.g.“[…] the economic and financial mismanagement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government and chronic infighting within the regime have contributed to the economic chaos […]” — 2012 October 6, “Iran’s nuclear programme: A red line and a reeling rial”, in The Economist:
- Fighting with one's opponent closer than arm's length.e.g.“Tate predicted that Wills, famed for infighting, would have to change his tactics against Firpo to avoid being knocked "very loose."” — 1924 September 1, “Abdication”, in Time:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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