factor

(noun) anything that contributes causally to a result. Examples: "A number of factors determined the outcome."

(noun) an abstract part of something. Synonyms: component, constituent, element, ingredient. Examples: "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."

(noun) one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer. Synonyms: divisor. Examples: "What are the 4 factors of 6?."

(noun) a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission. Synonyms: agent, broker.

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

(noun) an independent variable in statistics.

(noun) (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. Synonyms: gene, cistron. Examples: "Genes were formerly called factors."

(verb) resolve into factors. Synonyms: factor in, factor out. Examples: "A quantum computer can factor the number 15."

(verb) be a contributing factor. Examples: "Make things factor into a company's profitability."

(verb) consider as relevant when making a decision. Synonyms: factor in, factor out. Examples: "You must factor in the recent developments."