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risk factor

noun
  1. a condition, behavior, or other factor that increases risk: Smoking is a major risk factor for cancer; depression as a risk factor in suicide.
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Origin of risk factor

First recorded in 1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for risk factor

risk factor

noun
  1. med a factor, such as a habit or an environmental condition, that predisposes an individual to develop a particular disease
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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