1
: one who acts or transacts business for another: such as
a
b
: one that lends money to producers and dealers (as on the security of accounts receivable)
2
a(1)
: one that actively contributes to the production of a result : ingredient
price wasn't a factor in the decision
(2)
: a substance that functions in or promotes the function of a particular physiological process or bodily system
a clotting factor that facilitates blood coagulation
b
: a good or service (such as land, labor, or capital) used in the process of production
3
: gene
4
a
: any of the numbers or symbols in mathematics that when multiplied together form a product (see product sense 1)
also
: a number or symbol that divides another number or symbol
b
: a quantity by which a given quantity is multiplied or divided in order to indicate a difference in measurement
costs increased by a factor of 10
factored; factoring
ˈfak-t(ə-)riŋ
: to work as a factor
1
: to resolve into factors
2
a
: to include or admit as a factor
—used with in or into
factor inflation into our calculations
b
: to exclude as a factor
—used with out
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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