form factor
Americannoun
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Computers. the design specifications of computing electronics that enforce uniformity and allow interchangeability of components.
the form factor for circuit boards.
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the physical dimensions of an electronic device.
The form factor of the new phone is thinner and lighter than that of the older models.
Etymology
Origin of form factor
First recorded in 1995–2000
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When will a small flat rectangle of electronics stop being the preferred form factor for the computers 5.8 billion humans carry around with them?
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Under Ternus, Apple could spearhead the next form factor for the AI era, Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee wrote in a Monday note.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 2026
“We see great potential for the human form factor in robotics,” he wrote in a recent report.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
"All of these places have flat floors. Why would you want the added expense of a very complex form factor... when you could just put it on a mobile base?" he asks.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2025
"For making an actual product, you would need to package it into a usable form factor," he explains.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
