Meaning of factor in English

factor

noun [ C ]

/ˈfæk.tər/ us

/ˈfæk.tɚ/

factor noun [C] (FACT)

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a fact or situation that influences the result of something:

People's voting habits are influenced by political, social and economic factors.

contributing factor Heavy snow was a contributing factor in the accident.

factor in Money was an important factor in our decision to relocate.

major factor Price will be a major factor in the success of this new product.

crucial factor Grades are still a crucial factor in determining who gets into which university.

deciding factor The economy is regarded as the deciding factor in the outcome of the election.

key factor Production costs are the key factor in determining price.

feel-good factor informal The film's success is largely due to its feel-good factor (= its ability to make people feel happy).

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Diet and exercise can influence a person's weight, but heredity is also a factor.
Smoking is a causative factor in the development of several serious diseases, including lung cancer.
Too little exercise is a contributory factor in heart disease.
The environmental argument was a deciding factor.
We need to take a lot of factors into account in our decision-making.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Causing things to happen

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factor noun [C] (NUMBER)

mathematics specialized

in mathematics, any whole number that is produced when you divide a larger number by another whole number:

Two, three, four and six are all factors of twelve.

a particular level on some systems of measurement:

a wind chill factor of -20

UK a factor 20 suntan cream

by a factor of

If an amount becomes larger or smaller by a factor of a particular number, it becomes that number of times larger or smaller:

Cases of leukaemia in the area near the nuclear reactor have risen by a factor of four.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Terms for numbers

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Measurements in general

(Definition of factor from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

factor | American Dictionary

factor

noun

/ˈfæk·tər/

factor noun (SITUATION)

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[ C ]

a fact or situation that influences a result:

Economic factors had a lot to do with their decision to sell the company.

factor noun (NUMBER)

[ C ] algebra

a number or variable (= letter or symbol) that is being multiplied in a product (= result of multiplying):

In 6×3=18, 6 and 3 are factors of the product 18.

[ C ] algebra

A factor of a product is a number that the product can be divided by exactly.

(Definition of factor from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

factor | Business English

factor

noun [ C ]

/ˈfæktər/ us

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one of several things that affects or influences a situation:

Increasing use of online newspapers was definitely a contributing factor to the company's collapse.

a key/significant/major factor

a critical/crucial factor

a deciding/decisive factor

FINANCE

(also invoice factor)

a business that buys the right to collect debts for another company and charges for collecting them:

Using a factor can be a good way of getting better cashflow.

the amount that a number is multiplied or divided by:

a factor of 3/10/75, etc. You should reduce your final figures by a factor of three.

COMMERCE

a company or person that sells goods produced by another company using their own name, usually for payment

the . . . factor

something special that a product, idea, person, etc. has that makes them successful or makes people notice them:

What's missing from this organization is the leadership factor.

Her latest fashion collection certainly has the wow factor.

Phrasal verb

factor sth in

(Definition of factor from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of factor

factor

However, close monitoring and a quick response seem to be the key factors in achieving success.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Cognitive factors involved in preserving a phonetic contrast.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Yet so many other factors also influence epistemic convictions that purely national styles may be relatively rare.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In the remainder of cases, the division was purely histological, as the physiology appeared uniform in the factors we tested.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In discussing pain and discomfort avoidance, he also emphasises the interplay of physical and psychological factors.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The impact of care-giving on care-givers : factors associated with the psychological well-being of people supporting a dementing relative in the community.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Secondly, what possible role might personal factors such as negative appraisals play in the development of psychological distress ?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, it is possible that it may be mediated through other psychological factors such as hypervigilance to current well-being.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Work factors had a greater impact on class differences in psychological distress in men.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This strengthens the case for work factors having a greater impact on socioeconomic inequalities in psychological distress among men.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Here, the style of a pattern is defined as a semantic description of its design concepts represented by psychological factors and topology features.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Moreover, to ignore this combination of linguistic and sociocultural factors would degrade psychological research.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

But there are no quick-fixes: to comprehend its significance requires us to consider psychological, cultural, and political/social and economic factors.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Nevertheless, it seems that there is a network of different psychological factors in play, which seem to be interconnected and influencing one another.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

A longitudinal study of parenting as a protective factor for children of alcoholics.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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