multifactorial

American  

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

adjective

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

   Some medical researchers regard cancer as a multifactorial disease.

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multifactorial British  

/ ˌmʌltɪfækˈtɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. genetics of or designating inheritance that depends on more than one gene

2. involving or including a number of elements or factors

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Other Word Forms

• multifactorially
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of multifactorial

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

Example Sentences

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

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

From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026

Muscle strength is a multifactorial trait influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors but also by numerous genetic variants, each with a very small effect on muscle strength.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 12, 2024

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

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 4, 2024

"There are multiple kinds of candidate explanations for why prices are rising. All of them are true. All of them are contributing to a multifactorial problem," Owens told Salon in an interview.

From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2022