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factor

noun

ˈfak-tər How to pronounce factor (audio)
Definition of factornext
1
as in delegate
a person who acts or does business for another at the auction the high bidder for the painting was actually a factor for a wealthy art collector

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in component
one of the parts that make up a whole price was only one factor in my decision to buy the car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of factor Battery degradation depends on factors including temperature, charging behavior, power levels, and usage patterns, and this was a single vehicle. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026 But there are signs that some of these cancers are linked to the toxic dust people were breathing for months after the attacks, and aren’t just a factor of aging. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026 One major factor is the decline in Canadian travelers, historically Las Vegas' largest international market. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 That was one of many factors that contributed to UM mustering just 26 yards on its final six possessions after the offense was again virtually unstoppable in the first half. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for factor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for factor
  1. delegate
  2. component
  3. agent
  4. element
  5. representative
  6. ingredient
  7. deputy
  8. member
Noun
  • This time, a half-dozen states are going before Super Tuesday and some of them have tons of delegates.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Agents can call APIs, query databases, retrieve documents, invoke other models, generate files, trigger workflows, connect to SaaS platforms and even delegate work to other agents.
    — Nicola Sfondrini, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of delegate
Noun
  • Complex systems do not succeed because every component is intelligent.
    — Nitin Gupta, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Engineers who separately examined the building’s exterior supposedly found widespread corrosion in structural components of the soffit panels along the underside of an overhang that wraps around the center.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of component
Noun
  • As the Broadview detention center filled, and while federal agents moved detainees from there to jails in Indiana and Kentucky and elsewhere, habeas corpus emerged as a viable legal tool.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Since joining the program in July 2025, FDLE has announced the arrests of hundreds of immigrants accused of various crimes in days-long operations in which agents collaborated with local police departments and ICE.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of agent
Noun
  • The team measured 13 rare earth elements, including cerium, ytterbium and lanthanum, and examined whether exposure was associated with birth outcomes.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The film has all these crime-drama elements, and we’re caught up in that tension.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of element
Noun
  • This creates a race to the bottom, where sales representatives trade margin for volume to hit their quotas.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Fire survivors can apply online, but the outreach center has representatives available to answer questions and guide applicants through what can be a confusing process.
    — Kenny Choi, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of representative
Noun
  • Chewing the drug produces a euphoric effect because of a psychoactive ingredient called arecoline, and millions of people are still betel users today.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Add the dressing and mix again, until all ingredients are well coated.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of ingredient
Noun
  • Know More The Pentagon has negotiated equity or some equivalent, like warrants, in at least 10 companies since Cerberus cofounder Steve Feinberg was confirmed as deputy defense secretary last year.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Kosta The two rivals also do not agree on Diamantis, the former deputy state budget director at the Office of Policy and Management who was fired by Lamont in a high-profile corruption scandal.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of deputy
Noun
  • On Wednesday, von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU's first associate member -- a status that does not currently exist in the bloc's treaties and would have to be created.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The decision to hike was split 7-2, with board members Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato dissenting from the verdict.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of member

Phrases Containing factor

Browse Nearby Words

factoids
factor
factored (in or into)
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Cite this Entry

“Factor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factor. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on factor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about factor

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