factionfossil
/ˈfækʃənˌfɒsl/nounVerified NewA party faction that outlives the cause, leader, or crisis that formed it, preserved by the positions its members now hold.
The movement died; the faction kept the mailing list, the committee seats, the slate. Politics is full of organizations fossilized mid-argument.
Etym. — faction + fossil; preservation without function, in stone.
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-01-power.md
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