1. factor

anything that contributes causally to a result

Example Sentences:
'a number of factors determined the outcome'

2. component, constituent, element, factor, ingredient

an abstract part of something

Example Sentences:
'jealousy was a component of his character'
'two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony'
'the grammatical elements of a sentence'
'a key factor in her success'
'humor: an effective ingredient of a speech'

• component
• constituent
• element
• ingredient

3. divisor, factor

one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer

Example Sentences:
'what are the 4 factors of 6?'

• divisor

4. agent, broker, factor

a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission

• agent
• broker

5. factor

any of the numbers (or symbols) that form a product when multiplied together

6. factor

an independent variable in statistics

7. cistron, factor, gene

(genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity

Example Sentences:
'genes were formerly called factors'

• cistron
• gene

8. factor, factor in, factor out

resolve into factors

Example Sentences:
'a quantum computer can factor the number 15'

• factor in
• factor out

9. factor

be a contributing factor

Example Sentences:
'make things factor into a company's profitability'

10. factor, factor in, factor out

consider as relevant when making a decision

Example Sentences:
'You must factor in the recent developments'

• factor in
• factor out