factor

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Mathematics Technical

n. a number that divides into another number exactly.

n. a whole number that divides exactly into another number without leaving a remainder.

“The factors of six are one, two, three, and six.”

“To simplify the fraction, the students first had to identify the greatest common factor of the numerator and the denominator.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Economics Technical · Formal

n. a person or company that does business for another, especially by buying debts.

n. a commercial agent who buys and sells goods for others on commission, or a firm that buys accounts receivable at a discount.

“The company used a factor to collect money from customers who had not paid.”

“By selling their outstanding invoices to a factor, the small business was able to improve its immediate cash flow despite the high fees.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun British English · Dialect

n. a person who manages a large farm or area of land for the owner.

n. a person employed to manage an estate or farm; a land steward.

“The factor visited the farmers to collect the rent for the landlord.”

“In rural Scotland, the estate factor traditionally acted as the primary intermediary between the tenant farmers and the distant landowner.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Mathematics Technical

v. to find the numbers that multiply together to make a specific number.

v. to resolve a number or expression into its constituent factors.

“It is easy to factor the number ten into two and five.”

“The encryption algorithm relies on the fact that it is computationally difficult to factor extremely large prime numbers.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to include something in your calculations or plans.

v. to include a particular fact or situation when you are thinking about or planning something.

“We need to factor in the cost of petrol for our road trip.”

“When calculating the project timeline, the manager failed to factor in the potential for delays caused by the national holiday.”