A small, sharp fragment of wood, glass, or other material that breaks off from a larger piece. Can also refer to a small breakaway group from a larger organization.
From Middle Dutch 'splinter', related to 'splinteren' (to split). The word entered English in the 14th century, originally referring to wood fragments, later extended metaphorically to group divisions.
The metaphorical use of 'splinter' for breakaway political groups perfectly captures the violent, fragmenting nature of organizational splits—just as wood splinters under pressure, so do human institutions when internal tensions become unbearable.
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