multifactorial
adjective
mul·ti·fac·to·ri·al
| \ ˌməl-tē-fak-ˈtȯr-ē-əl
, -ˌtī-\
, -ˌtī-\
Definition of multifactorial
1
: caused or marked by a polygenic mode of inheritance dependent on a number of genes at different loci
The essence of multifactorial (polygenic) inheritance is that a single component of the phenotype (a single character) can be controlled by several independent gene loci.— Ernst Mayr
also
: caused by or dependent on the interaction of multiple genes combined with one or more environmental factors
Breast cancer is what scientists call "multifactorial" in that a variety of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors are thought to play a role. — Francesca Lyman
2
or multifactor \ ˌməl-tē-ˈfak-tər
, -ˌtī- \
: having, involving, or produced by a variety of elements or causes
a multifactorial approach multifactor authentication Ligament damage, particularly in a throwing arm, is a complex, multifactorial process.— Matt McCarthy
, -ˌtī- \
: having, involving, or produced by a variety of elements or causes
a multifactorial approach multifactor authentication Ligament damage, particularly in a throwing arm, is a complex, multifactorial process.— Matt McCarthy
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Other Words from multifactorial
multifactorially
\ ˌməl-tē-fak-ˈtȯr-ē-ə-lē
, -ˌtī- \
adverb
, -ˌtī- \
adverb
Examples of multifactorial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Our latest Insights puzzle attempted to model multifactorial causation with problems that involved three causal factors whose different types of interactions either produced or did not produce an effect. — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘The Slippery Math of Causation’," 29 June 2018 Before a shot is even taken, Google’s Night Sight camera does a ton of multifactorial calculations. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Google gives the Pixel camera superhuman night vision," 14 Nov. 2018 Aging is a multifactorial process and is heavily influenced by genetics, UV radiation exposure, and stress. — Adam Hurly, GQ, "This Is How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Appearance," 9 June 2018 Certainly, anyone would agree that the gap is a multifactorial phenomenon. — Philly.com, "The orgasm gap is a thing. How can it be bridged?," 7 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'multifactorial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for multifactorial
multifactorial
adjective
mul·ti·fac·to·ri·al
| \ -fak-ˈtōr-ē-əl, -ˈtȯr-
\
\
Medical Definition of multifactorial
1
: caused or marked by a polygenic mode of inheritance dependent on a number of genes at different loci
The essence of multifactorial (polygenic) inheritance is that a single component of the phenotype (a single character) can be controlled by several independent gene loci.— Ernst Mayr
also
: caused by or dependent on the interaction of multiple genes combined with one or more environmental factors
Breast cancer is what scientists call "multifactorial" in that a variety of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors are thought to play a role. — Francesca Lyman
2
or multifactor \ -ˈfak-tər
\
: having, involving, or produced by a variety of elements or causes
a multifactorial study a disease with a multifactorial etiology Ligament damage, particularly in a throwing arm, is a complex, multifactorial process.— Matt McCarthy
\
: having, involving, or produced by a variety of elements or causes
a multifactorial study a disease with a multifactorial etiology Ligament damage, particularly in a throwing arm, is a complex, multifactorial process.— Matt McCarthy
Other Words from multifactorial
multifactorially
\ -ē-ə-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
multifactoriality
\ -ˌtōr-ē-ˈal-ət-ē, -ˌtȯr-
\
noun,
plural multifactorialities
\
noun,
plural multifactorialities