factor

American  

[fak-ter] / ˈfæk tər /

noun

• factors
  plural

1. one of the elements contributing to a particular result or situation.

   Poverty is only one of the factors in crime.

2. Mathematics. one of two or more numbers, algebraic expressions, or the like, that when multiplied together produce a given product; a divisor.

   6 and 3 are factors of 18.

3. Biochemistry. any of certain substances necessary to a biochemical or physiological process, especially those whose exact nature and function are unknown.

4. a business organization that lends money on accounts receivable or buys and collects accounts receivable.

5. a person who acts or transacts business for another; an agent.

6. an agent entrusted with the possession of goods to be sold in the agent's name; a merchant earning a commission by selling goods belonging to others.

7. a person or business organization that provides money for another's new business venture; one who finances another's business.

8. factor of production.

9. Scot. the steward or bailiff of an estate.

---

verb (used with object)

• factors,
  present (3rd person singular)
• factored,
  past participle,  past
• factoring
  present participle

1. Mathematics. to express (a mathematical quantity) as a product of two or more quantities of like kind, as 30 = 235, or x 2 − y 2 = (x +y ) (x − y ).

2. to act as a factor for.

verb (used without object)

• factors,
  present (3rd person singular)
• factored,
  past participle,  past
• factoring
  present participle

1. to act as a factor.

verb phrase

1. factor in / into to include as an essential element, especially in forecasting or planning.

   You must factor insurance payments into the cost of maintaining a car.

factor British  

/ ˈfæktə /

noun

1. an element or cause that contributes to a result

2. maths

   1. one of two or more integers or polynomials whose product is a given integer or polynomial

      2 and 3 are factors of 6

   2. an integer or polynomial that can be exactly divided into another integer or polynomial

      1, 2, 3, and 6 are all factors of 6

3. (foll by identifying numeral) med any of several substances that participate in the clotting of blood

   factor VIII

4. a person who acts on another's behalf, esp one who transacts business for another

5. commerce a business that makes loans in return for or on security of trade debts

6. former name for a gene

7. commercial law a person to whom goods are consigned for sale and who is paid a factorage

8. (in Scotland) the manager of an estate

---

verb

1. (intr) to engage in the business of a factor

factor Scientific  

/ făk′tər /

1. One of two or more numbers or expressions that are multiplied to obtain a given product. For example, 2 and 3 are factors of 6, and a + b and a − b are factors of a ² − b ².

2. A substance found in the body, such as a protein, that is essential to a biological process. For example, growth factors are needed for proper cell growth and development.

---

1. To find the factors of a number or expression. For example, the number 12 can be factored into 2 and 6, or 3 and 4, or 1 and 12.

Usage

Factor (sense 1) should only be used to refer to something which contributes to a result. It should not be used to refer to a part of something such as a plan or arrangement; instead a word such as component or element should be used

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• factorability
  noun
• factorship
  noun
• subfactor
  noun
• underfactor
  noun
• factorable
  adjective
• unfactorable
  adjective
• unfactored
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• factors
  plural

Participles

• factoring
  present
• factored
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• factor
  simple
• factors
  simple
• have factored
  perfect
• has factored
  perfect
• am factoring
  progressive
• are factoring
  progressive
• is factoring
  progressive
• have been factoring
  perfect progressive
• has been factoring
  perfect progressive

Past

• factored
  simple
• had factored
  perfect
• was factoring
  progressive
• were factoring
  progressive
• had been factoring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will factor
  simple
• will have factored
  perfect
• will be factoring
  progressive
• will have been factoring
  perfect progressive

---

Etymology

Origin of factor

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English facto(u)r, from Latin factor “maker, perpetrator,” equivalent to fac(ere) “to make, do” + -tor agent noun suffix; see -tor

---

Explanation

A factor is a part or element that contributes to a result. If you only fly budget airlines and refuse to stay anywhere but youth hostels, then money is probably a big factor in your travel plans. The word factor doubles as both noun and verb. A factor is an element that influences something, like many factors that contribute to global warming. To factor means to consider something relevant when making a decision or conclusion, like factoring in the weather and traffic when figuring out how long the drive will be. And if it's not relevant? Then you factor it out.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

factor factors factored factoring

Lane added that another factor in the decline in the number of captive birds is the increased difficulties in transporting birds since Brexit.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

He’s not wrong that it’s a meaningful factor.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

Your oncology team is best placed to discuss your situation, assuming you want to factor that into your decision-making.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Sakurai further gooses the nostalgia factor by laying in time-capsule radio smashes, with 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” proving particularly important to the plot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Appalachian Trail is the hardest thing I have ever done, and the Maine portion was the hardest part of the Appalachian Trail, and by a factor I couldn’t begin to compute.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

They found that its complex weather is largely governed by just two factors: changes in temperature and the vertical structure of its clouds.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

Regional gas-price increases vary because of differences in refineries and transportation costs, among other factors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

"The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient's death," they said at the time.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Independent legal experts said several factors have driven the wave of lawsuits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

It may even be that those factors play a very subtle and complex role in increasing the odds of something happening to him in the next seventy-two hours.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

If it doesn’t re-enter service, the aircraft will be treated as written off by insurers and factored into their aviation risk profile.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Nor has it factored in players who may feel they have missed out on salary increases, or triggered payments, for how their club might have performed.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Television Academy Chairman Cris Abrego said Prime’s role as a TV hub factored into the decision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Mizuho analyst Lloyd Walmsley wrote in a note to clients that Muse “marks the beginning of a substantial product cycle” that the market hasn’t factored into the stock price yet.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

Optics governed more or less everything in the political world, and I factored this into every outfit.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

After factoring rest rules that include hours-of-service limits, typically 11 or 12 hours, the utilization rate of the truck falls to 40%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

But a jet fighter can cost about $15,000 an hour to operate, without factoring in its missiles, ammunition and maintenance costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

If he sold the condo right now, he could lose the $58,000 he put down, and possibly more after factoring in broker fees and closing costs.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

One key reason for the rise in insurance costs is that carriers are factoring in recent disasters.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

I’m really not in the mood to divvy up everything into eleven equal parts, factoring in age, body weight, and physical output.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• aspect
• cause
• circumstance
• component
• consideration
• element
• influence
• ingredient
• part
• point
• thing

---