factor
Other forms: factors; factored; factoring
A factor is a part or element that contributes to a result. If you only fly budget airlines and refuse to stay anywhere but youth hostels, then money is probably a big factor in your travel plans.
The word factor doubles as both noun and verb. A factor is an element that influences something, like many factors that contribute to global warming. To factor means to consider something relevant when making a decision or conclusion, like factoring in the weather and traffic when figuring out how long the drive will be. And if it's not relevant? Then you factor it out.
Definitions of factor
-
anything that contributes causally to a result“a number of factors determined the outcome”
-
types:
- show 7 types...
- hide 7 types...
-
fundamental
any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business
-
parameter
any factor that defines a system and determines (or limits) its performance
-
unknown quantity
a factor in a given situation whose bearing and importance is not apparent
-
wild card
an unpredictable factor
-
RF, releasing factor, releasing hormone
a substance produced by the hypothalamus that is capable of accelerating the secretion of a given hormone by the anterior pituitary gland
-
intrinsic factor
a substance produced by the mucosa of the stomach and intestines that is essential for the absorption of vitamin B12
-
GHRF, growth hormone-releasing factor
a releasing factor that accelerates the secretion of growth hormone by the anterior pituitary body
-
type of:
-
cause
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
-
an abstract part of something“a key factor in her success”
-
synonyms:
component, constituent, element, ingredient
-
types:
- show 8 types...
- hide 8 types...
-
be all and end all, be-all and end-all
the essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim
-
plot element
a component or element of the plot of a story
-
point
a geometric element that has position but no extension
-
counterpoint
an element, idea, or argument used to create a contrast
-
MacGuffin, McGuffin
(film) a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot
-
attracter, attractor
(physics) a point in the ideal multidimensional phase space that is used to describe a system toward which the system tends to evolve regardless of the starting conditions of the system
-
intersection, intersection point, point of intersection
a point where lines intersect
-
intercept
the point at which a line intersects a coordinate axis
-
be a contributing factor
-
consider as relevant when making a decision“You must factor in the recent developments”
-
synonyms:
factor in, factor out
-
any of the numbers (or symbols) that form a product when multiplied together
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
deflator
a statistical factor designed to remove the effect of inflation; inflation adjusted variables are in constant dollars
-
conversion factor
factor by which a quantity that is expressed in one set of units must be multiplied in order to convert it into another set of units
-
constant of proportionality, factor of proportionality
the constant value of the ratio of two proportional quantities x and y; usually written y = kx, where k is the factor of proportionality
-
Planck's constant, h
the constant of proportionality relating the energy of a photon to its frequency; approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 joule-second
-
type of:
-
number
a concept of quantity involving zero and units
-
one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer“what are the 4 factors of 6?”
-
synonyms:
divisor
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
prime factor
the prime factors of a quantity are all of the prime quantities that will exactly divide the given quantity
-
equivalent-binary-digit factor
the average number of binary digits needed to express one radix digit in a numeration system that is not binary; on the average a number that can be expressed in N decimal digits takes 3.3N binary digits
-
common divisor, common factor, common measure
an integer that divides two (or more) other integers evenly
-
greatest common divisor, greatest common factor, highest common factor
the largest integer that divides without remainder into a set of integers
-
type of:
-
integer, whole number
any of the natural numbers or their negatives or zero
-
resolve into factors
-
an independent variable in statistics
-
type of:
-
experimental variable, independent variable
(statistics) a variable whose values are independent of changes in the values of other variables
-
experimental variable, independent variable
-
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
-
types:
- show 10 types...
- hide 10 types...
-
auctioneer
an agent who conducts an auction
-
general agent, insurance agent, insurance broker, underwriter
an agent who sells insurance
-
investment banker, underwriter
a banker who deals chiefly in underwriting new securities
-
estate agent, house agent, land agent, real estate agent, real estate broker
a person who is authorized to act as an agent for the sale of land
-
ship broker
an agent for the ship owner; obtains cargo and may arrange for its loading or discharge
-
stockbroker
an agent in the buying and selling of stocks and bonds
-
syndic
one appointed to represent a city or university or corporation in business transactions
-
travel agent
someone who sells or arranges trips or tours for customers
-
killer bee
an investment banker who devises strategies to make a target company less attractive for takeover
-
Realtor
a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of Realtors
-
type of:
-
bourgeois, businessperson
a capitalist who engages in industrial commercial enterprise
-
(genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity“genes were formerly called factors”
-
types:
- show 26 types...
- hide 26 types...
-
dominant gene
gene that produces the same phenotype in the organism whether or not its allele identical
-
allele, allelomorph
(genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character
-
genetic marker
a specific gene that produces a recognizable trait and can be used in family or population studies
-
homeotic gene
one the genes that are involved in embryologic development
-
lethal gene
any gene that has an effect that causes the death of the organism at any stage of life
-
linkage group, linked genes
any pair of genes that tend to be transmitted together
-
modifier, modifier gene
a gene that modifies the effect produced by another gene
-
mutant gene
a gene that has changed so that the normal transmission and expression of a trait is affected
-
nonallele
genes that are not competitors at the same locus
-
operator gene
a gene that activates the production of messenger RNA by adjacent structural genes
-
oncogene, transforming gene
a gene that disposes normal cells to change into cancerous tumor cells
-
polygene
a gene that by itself has little effect on the phenotype but which can act together with others to produce observable variations
-
proto-oncogene
a normal gene that has the potential to become an oncogene
-
recessive gene
gene that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its allele is identical
-
regulator gene, regulatory gene
a gene that produces a repressor substance that inhibits an operator gene
-
repressor gene
gene that prevents a nonallele from being transcribed
-
structural gene
a gene that controls the production of a specific protein or peptide
-
suppresser, suppresser gene, suppressor, suppressor gene
a gene that suppresses the phenotypic expression of another gene (especially of a mutant gene)
-
transgene
an exogenous gene introduced into the genome of another organism
-
X-linked gene
a gene located on an X chromosome
-
Y-linked gene, holandric gene
a gene located on a Y chromosome
-
dominant, dominant allele
an allele that produces the same phenotype whether its paired allele is identical or different
-
recessive, recessive allele
an allele that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its paired allele is identical
-
homeobox, homeobox gene
one of various similar homeotic genes that are involved in bodily segmentation during embryonic development
-
CFTR, cystic fibrosis transport regulator
the gene that is mutated in cystic fibrosis
-
tumor suppressor gene
a suppressor gene that blocks unscheduled cell division
-
type of:
-
sequence
serial arrangement in which things follow in logical order or a recurrent pattern
Pronunciation
US
/ˈfæktər/
UK
/ˈfæktə/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘factor'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing factor
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
A thorough survey of various textbooks, assignments, content area standards, and examinations yields the following list of words compiled by Jim Burke. You cannot expect to succeed on assignments if you do not understand the directions.
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
How can you perform well on the reading section of the SAT if you don’t fully understand the language being used in the directions and in the questions? Learn this list of 25 words that are based on our analysis of the words likely to appear in question stems, answer options, and test directions. Following our Roadmap to the SAT? Head back to see what else you should be learning this week.
Make Do: Fac
Practice these words that derive from the Latin root fac, meaning "make" or "do." This list is sure to make your day!