factor

¹fac·tor

noun \ˈfak-tər\

Definition of FACTOR

1

: one who acts or transacts business for another: as

a : broker 1b

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

b : a good or service 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; 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>

— fac·tor·ship \-ˌship\ noun

Examples of FACTOR

1. There were several factors contributing to their recent decline.
2. Poor planning was a major factor in the company's failure.
3. 6, 4, 3, and 2 are factors of 12.

Origin of FACTOR

Middle English, from Middle French facteur, from Latin factor doer, from facere

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to FACTOR

Synonyms

assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, agent, minister, procurator, proxy, rep, representative

Antonyms

whole

Related Words

ambassador, diplomat, diplomatist, emissary, foreign minister, legate, plenipotentiary; alternate, backup, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, stand-in, sub, substitute, surrogate, understudy; informer, operative, spy; broker, distributor, manager; arbiter, arbitrator, comprador (or compradore), conciliator, go-between, intercessor, intermediary, interposer, liaison, mediator, middleman, peacemaker; mouthpiece, point man, point person, prophet, speaker, spokesman, spokesperson

Near Antonyms

aggregate, composite, compound, mass; entirety, sum, summation, total, totality; admixture, amalgam, amalgamation, blend, combination, intermixture, mix, mixture

Rhymes with FACTOR

tractor

²factor

verb

fac·toredfac·tor·ing \-t(ə-)riŋ\

Definition of FACTOR

intransitive verb

: to work as a factor

transitive verb

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

— fac·tor·able \-t(ə-)rə-bəl\ adjective

First Known Use of FACTOR

1621

fac·tor

noun \ˈfak-tər\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of FACTOR

1

a : something that actively contributes to the production of a result b : a substance that functions in or promotes the function of a particular physiological process or bodily system

2

: gene

—fac·to·ri·al \fak-ˈtōr-ē-əl, -ˈtȯr-\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

factor

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In multiplication, one of two or more numerical or algebraic components of a product. A whole number's factors are the whole numbers that divide evenly into it (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 are factors of 12). To factor a counting number means to break it down into its prime number factors. To factor a polynomial is to find its prime polynomial factors, a basic procedure for solving algebraic equations. According to the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, the prime factorization of any number or polynomial is unique.