risk factor

noun

: something that increases risk or susceptibility

Examples of risk factor in a Sentence

Age is one of the risk factors for this disease.

Recent Examples on the Web

In rival Anthropic’s recent S-1 filing, the inability to secure more compute is listed as a major risk factor that could cause Anthropic to be unsuccessful. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026

About half of them carried the strongest genetic risk factor for it. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 2 Nov. 2026

The last risk factor, according to Adshead, is the relationship between the perpetrator and her victim, and what happens between the two on the day itself. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

While cigarette smoking is still the primary risk factor for lung cancer, a growing proportion of patients with the disease are nonsmokers like Lin. — Meeri Kim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for risk factor

• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor
• protractor
• reactor
• redactor
• refractor

Kids Definition

risk factor

noun

: something that increases the possibility that something bad will happen

cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer

Medical Definition

risk factor

noun

: something that increases risk or susceptibility

poorly controlled hypertension is a risk factor for coronary heart disease