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/in

The 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 lack of access to institutional credit and chronic indebtedness is also seen by some researchers as a contributing factor to the phenomenon of farmer suicides in rural India. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026

The report also cited Lemmon’s decision to reject the takeoff at high speed as a contributing factor and listed a design flaw in the thrust reverser system, which also contributed to the crash. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Wednesday's testimony suggested the concentration of antidepressants and antipsychotics in her system was relatively low and not a contributing factor to suicide or other extreme acts, in Brower's opinion. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Preliminary evidence indicates alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash, which caused the closure of the highway in both directions for several hours, Hanegraaf said. — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 4 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for contributing factor

• acter
• actor
• tractor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor
• protractor