factor
[noun]
Synonyms: element, aspect, cause, component, consideration, influence, item, part

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Related Words: antecedent, cause, determinant, agency, agent, instrument, instrumentality, means, bailiff, majordomo, seneschal, steward, adjutant, aid, assistant, coadjutor, helper

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. fac‧tor¹ S3 W1 AC /ˈfæktə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: facteur, from Latin factor 'doer, maker', from facere 'to do, make']

1. CAUSE/INFLUENCE one of several things that influence or cause a situation:
The rise in crime is mainly due to social and economic factors.
factor in
The vaccination program has been a major factor in the improvement of health standards.
important/major/key/crucial factor
The weather could be a crucial factor in tomorrow’s game.
deciding/decisive/determining factor (=the most important factor)
We liked both houses, but price was the deciding factor.

2. LEVEL ON A SCALE a particular level on a scale that measures how strong or effective something is:
factor 15 suntan oil
Even in July the wind chill factor (=the degree to which the air feels colder because of the wind) can be intense.

3. by a factor of five/ten etc if something increases or decreases by a factor of five, ten etc, it increases or decreases by five times, ten times etc

4. MATHEMATICS technical a number that divides into another number exactly:
3 is a factor of 15.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. factor² AC verb [transitive] American English technical
to divide a number into factors
factor something ↔ in (also factor something into something) phrasal verb technical
to include a particular thing in your calculations about how long something will take, how much it will cost etc
factor something ↔ out phrasal verb technical
to not include something in your calculations about how long something will take, how much it will cost etc

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

factor
noun
ADJ. important, main, major, relevant, significant one of the most significant factors
critical, crucial, deciding, decisive, determining, key, vital This is regarded as the crucial factor in deciding who should get priority. Money proved to be the deciding factor.
contributing, contributory Poor organization was certainly a contributory factor to the crisis.
complicating, distorting A complicating factor is her parents' refusal to cooperate with the police.
limiting | mitigating The appeal judges spoke of strong mitigating factors in the case.
aggravating | additional | single The closure of the mine was the single most important factor in the town's decline.
common Look for the common factor in all these cases.
external, extraneous, extrinsic External factors in the production of disease include pollution of the environment.
internal, intrinsic | causal, causative | risk Studies have established that smoking is a risk factor for cancer.
contextual, demographic, economic, environmental, genetic, political, psychological, situational, social
VERB + FACTOR consider, take into account A variety of other factors will be taken into account.
depend on
FACTOR + VERB be involved, operate the contextual factors which operate to hinder understanding
affect sth, be responsible for sth, contribute to sth, determine sth, influence sth, precipitate sth, predispose sb/sth to sth environmental factors which predispose children to middle-ear infections
constrain sth, inhibit sth, militate against sth one of the factors that influenced his decision
interact looking at how economic and social factors interact
include sth
PREP. ~ behind the main factors behind the dollar's weakness
~ in a key factor in the decision
PHRASES a combination/number/range/variety of factors The outcome will depend on a number of factors.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

factor

an important factor
Human influence has been an important factor as regards climate change.
a major/minor factor (=the most or least important of several factors)
The country’s huge mineral reserves are a major factor behind its economic strength.
a key/crucial factor (=a very important factor)
A key factor in a company’s success is knowing its customers.
the deciding factor (=the reason for making a particular choice)
The closeness of the river was probably the deciding factor when the site was chosen.
the decisive/determining factor (=the one that has the biggest effect)
The support of middle-income voters was the decisive factor in the election.
a contributing factor (=one that helps to make something happen)
Stress is a contributing factor in many illnesses.
economic factors
Economic factors limit our options.
environmental factors
Various environmental factors affect the growth of grapes.
social factors
Social factors have played their part in the decline in family sizes.
a risk factor (=something that makes you more likely to have an illness)
The highest risk factor for coronary heart disease was found to be smoking.
depend on certain factors
Success depends on certain factors.
factors influence something
Various factors influenced the government’s decision.
factors determine something
The final cost of the product was determined by a combination of factors.
factors are responsible for something
These underlying factors were responsible for his death.
a combination/variety/number of factors
A combination of factors led to the closure of the factory.
take certain factors into account (=to consider factors when making a decision)
You should take all these factors into account.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲