contributing factor
noun
: something that helps cause a result
According to the police report of the accident, excessive speed was a contributing factor.
—often + to/inThe coach's positive attitude was a contributing factor to/in the team's success.
Examples of contributing factor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The age of the air bag can be a contributing factor to a serious injury or death, the NHTSA said.
—
Ahjané Forbes, The Courier-Journal, 30 May 2024
The spread of ransomware attacks is also a contributing factor to these spikes, Madnick said.
—Justin Klawans, The Week Us, theweek, 7 Mar. 2024
Alcohol was a contributing factor in 3.7% of traffic crashes that year.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2024
The Miami Dolphins are fish out of water in cold-weather environments, which was evident in Miami’s 26-7 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past season, and has been a contributing factor to the franchise’s late-season slides for a decade or two.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 29 May 2024
Another contributing factor was the loss of experienced people in their positions toward the end of the Trump administration.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 7 May 2024
The high altitude from air travel impacting someone’s lungs may be a contributing factor, but there wasn’t enough evidence in the study to confirm this.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
The outlet also reported that the stigma surrounding prostate cancer may be a contributing factor, as men — and specifically Black men — are less open to discussing their diagnosis and experience with the disease.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
This stance has frequently raised the ire of the country’s powerful military establishment, and was a contributing factor in the breakdown of civil-military relations during the 2013-2018 government of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
—Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Ahjané Forbes, The Courier-Journal, 30 May 2024
The spread of ransomware attacks is also a contributing factor to these spikes, Madnick said.
—Justin Klawans, The Week Us, theweek, 7 Mar. 2024
Alcohol was a contributing factor in 3.7% of traffic crashes that year.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2024
The Miami Dolphins are fish out of water in cold-weather environments, which was evident in Miami’s 26-7 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past season, and has been a contributing factor to the franchise’s late-season slides for a decade or two.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 29 May 2024
Another contributing factor was the loss of experienced people in their positions toward the end of the Trump administration.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 7 May 2024
The high altitude from air travel impacting someone’s lungs may be a contributing factor, but there wasn’t enough evidence in the study to confirm this.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
The outlet also reported that the stigma surrounding prostate cancer may be a contributing factor, as men — and specifically Black men — are less open to discussing their diagnosis and experience with the disease.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
This stance has frequently raised the ire of the country’s powerful military establishment, and was a contributing factor in the breakdown of civil-military relations during the 2013-2018 government of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
—Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contributing factor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near contributing factor
Cite this Entry
“Contributing factor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contributing%20factor. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
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