factor
noun
fac·tor
| \ ˈfak-tər
\
\
Definition of factor
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: one who acts or transacts business for another: such as
a
: broker sense 1b
b
: one that lends money to producers and dealers (as on the security of accounts receivable)
2a(1)
: one that actively contributes to the production of a result : ingredient
price wasn't a factor in the decision
(2)
: a substance that functions in or promotes the function of a particular physiological process or bodily system
a clotting factor that facilitates blood coagulation
b
: a good or service (such as land, labor, or capital) used in the process of production
3
: gene
4a
: any of the numbers or symbols in mathematics that when multiplied together form a product (see product sense 1)
also
: a number or symbol that divides another number or symbol
b
: a quantity by which a given quantity is multiplied or divided in order to indicate a difference in measurement
costs increased by a factor of 10
factor
verb
factored;
factoring\ ˈfak-t(ə-)riŋ
\
\
Definition of factor (Entry 2 of 2)
: to work as a factor
1
: to resolve into factors
2a
: to include or admit as a factor
—used with in or into factor inflation into our calculations
b
: to exclude as a factor
—used with out
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Other Words from factor
Noun
factorship
\ ˈfak-tər-ˌship
\
noun
\
noun
Verb
factorable
\ ˈfak-t(ə-)rə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms for factor
Synonyms: Noun
agent, assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, minister, procurator, proxy, rep, representative
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Examples of factor in a Sentence
Noun
There were several factors contributing to their recent decline. Poor planning was a major factor in the company's failure. 6, 4, 3, and 2 are factors of 12.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
What were the biggest factors in the Texans special teams improvement from literally one of the worst in the NFL for almost a decade to 5th in DVOA last year? — Stephanie Stradley, Houston Chronicle, "Stephanie Stradley’s Texans season preview Q&A with Rivers McCown," 4 Sep. 2019 Drugs and alcohol, availability of firearms, poverty, a breakdown in social cohesion and discrimination are all factors that can undermine health and well-being. — Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, "For some D.C. students, the challenges outside school far exceed the ones inside," 3 Sep. 2019 Work stress, libido-lowering medications, chronic illness, and injuries are all factors that can influence intimacy. — Christina Oehler, Health.com, "What Does It Mean to Have a 'Dead Bedroom' Relationship? We Asked a Sex Therapist," 3 Sep. 2019 The result of the Thanksgiving night game and the postgame player reaction were significant factors. — Ross Dellenger, SI.com, "The Story of Tom Herman, Ed Orgeron and LSU's Wild 2016 Coaching Search," 2 Sep. 2019 But there were other galvanizing factors that, though less discussed, were no less galling—indignities that have become increasingly familiar to workers across the country. — Lena Solow, The New Republic, "The Scourge of Worker Wellness Programs," 2 Sep. 2019 Her leadership and court sense will be major factors if Bel Air is to make another trip to College Park. — Mike Frainie, baltimoresun.com, "2019 Baltimore-area girls volleyball players to watch," 31 Aug. 2019 While unionization and workers' rights are bound to stay at the forefront of the conversation through the 2020 election, there are other economic factors that could affect how such issues are perceived. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "64% of Americans support labor unions but membership is at a record low," 31 Aug. 2019 There are factors that marketers believe are better liked by males and vice versa. — Hana Hong, Marie Claire, "Can I Use My Boyfriend’s Moisturizer?," 30 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Nary an extra base hit factored in any of the A’s scoring. — Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, "Singular win for A’s, their third in a row over Astros," 17 Aug. 2019 Heat indices — what the temperature will feel like with humidity factored in — could reach 115 degrees in the region, the weather service said. — NBC News, "Dangerous heat wave blazes across large parts of Plains, South," 13 Aug. 2019 When factoring in games played, Christian Kirk actually finished with a 21.5% target share in the offense. — Matt Gajewski, SI.com, "Fantasy Football 2019: Wide Receiver Position Primer," 8 Aug. 2019 Once Upon a Time... cost Sony $90 million to make even without factoring in the flashy and extensive marketing campaign. — Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, "‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Overperforms With $40 Million Debut—But Can Its Spell Last?," 29 July 2019 Another pipeline is needed to free producers from factoring the cost of rail transport into prices, says Trevor Tombe of the University of Calgary. — The Economist, "The environmentThe environment is Canada’s biggest wedge issue," 25 July 2019 Saturday afternoon will be the hottest period of the weekend, when temperatures in Hartford could reach 101 degrees that will feel more like 111 degrees with humidity factored in. — Slade Rand, courant.com, "Stifling weather began Friday as state, local leaders geared up for even hotter Saturday temperatures," 19 July 2019 The religious impulse is deeply human and has always factored prominently in our relationship to the cosmos. — Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "Spaceflight and Spirituality, a Complicated Relationship," 16 July 2019 To keep things believable, costumers factored in the show’s Midwest setting, where not everyone would have been on trend. — John Jurgensen, WSJ, "How ‘Stranger Things’ Whipped Up ’80s Fever," 30 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'factor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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