n anything that contributes causally to a result
a number of factors determined the outcome
n an abstract part of something
a key factor in her success
n one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer
what are the 4 factors of 6?
n a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
n any of the numbers (or symbols) that form a product when multiplied together
n an independent variable in statistics
n (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
genes were formerly called factors
v resolve into factors
a quantum computer can factor the number 15
v be a contributing factor
make things factor into a company's profitability
v consider as relevant when making a decision
You must factor in the recent developments
n any of several methods for reducing correlational data to a smaller number of dimensions or factors; beginning with a correlation matrix a small number of components or factors are extracted that are regarded as the basic variables that account for the interrelations observed in the data