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multifactorial

American

[muhl-tee-fak-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-, muhl-tahy-] / ˌmʌl ti fækˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-, ˌmʌl taɪ- /

adjective

having or stemming from a number of different causes or influences.

Some medical researchers regard cancer as a multifactorial disease.

multifactorial British

/ ˌmʌltɪfækˈtɔːrɪəl /

adjective

genetics of or designating inheritance that depends on more than one gene
involving or including a number of elements or factors

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

multifactorially

adverb

Etymology

Origin of multifactorial

First recorded in 1915–20; multi- + factor + -ial

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.

See Examples For:

multifactorial

Nice said it welcomed the findings and recognised the potential of such multifactorial risk assessment tools but said the current evidence did not warrant a change to its breast cancer guidelines.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

The review highlights aging as a multifactorial process, meaning it is driven by many interacting biological factors instead of a single cause.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

Diplomatic resolutions are multifactorial, especially when the military has been deployed.

From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026

“Declines in San Francisco and other declines nationwide are probably multifactorial, and it’s hard to pinpoint one cause.”

From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2025

“This could be a multifactorial presentation that we're seeing,” Lyons said.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 4, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023