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
Alcohol abuse was a contributing factor in three of those deaths.
—
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
That amount still wasn’t good enough for the archdiocese, which also noted the end of the state’s Invest in Kids scholarship program was a contributing factor to the closure.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Cities around the country have been shutting down recycling programs citing cost as the sole and sometimes contributing factor.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
These reports encompass deaths reported by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in which the office has determined hypothermia as a cause or contributing factor.
—Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contributing factor
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Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
That amount still wasn’t good enough for the archdiocese, which also noted the end of the state’s Invest in Kids scholarship program was a contributing factor to the closure.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Cities around the country have been shutting down recycling programs citing cost as the sole and sometimes contributing factor.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
These reports encompass deaths reported by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in which the office has determined hypothermia as a cause or contributing factor.
—Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contributing factor
Cite this Entry
“Contributing factor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contributing%20factor. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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