factor meaning and definition

FACTOR noun

Definition of factor (noun)

1. anything that contributes causally to a result
   • "a number of factors determined the outcome"
2. an abstract part of something
   • "jealousy was a component of his character"; "two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony"; "the grammatical elements of a sentence"; "a key factor in her success"; "humor: an effective ingredient of a speech"
   • synonyms: component, constituent, element, ingredient
3. one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer
   • "what are the 4 factors of 6?"
   • synonyms: divisor
4. a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
   • synonyms: agent, broker
5. any of the numbers (or symbols) that form a product when multiplied together
6. an independent variable in statistics
7. (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"
   • synonyms: cistron, gene

FACTOR verb

Definition of factor (verb)

1. resolve into factors
   • "a quantum computer can factor the number 15"
   • synonyms: factor in, factor out
2. be a contributing factor
   • "make things factor into a company's profitability"
3. consider as relevant when making a decision
   • "You must factor in the recent developments"
   • synonyms: factor in, factor out