DEFINITIONS
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risk factor

noun

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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Words nearby risk factor

rising sign, rising trot, risk, risk aversion, risk capital, risk factor, risk life and limb, risk management, risk-averse, risk-benefit, risktaker

Origin of risk factor

First recorded in 1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for risk factor

risk factor

noun

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