factor

== English == === Alternative forms === factour (archaic) === Etymology === From Middle French facteur, from Latin factor (“a doer, maker, performer”), from factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfæk.tə/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈfæk.tɚ/ Hyphenation: fact‧or Rhymes: -æktə(ɹ) === Noun === factor (plural factors) (obsolete) A doer, maker; a person who does things for another person or organization. Hyponym: factotum An agent or representative; a reseller or distributor (sometimes with a private label); a consignee. (law) A commission agent. A person or business organization that provides money for another's new business venture; one who finances another's business. A business organization that lends money on accounts receivable or buys and collects accounts receivable. One of the elements, circumstances, or influences which contribute to produce a result. 1864-1898, Herbert Spencer, Principles of Biology (mathematics) Any of various objects multiplied together to form some whole. Hyponym: coefficient (causal analysis) Influence; a phenomenon that affects the nature, the magnitude, and/or the timing of a consequence. (economics) A resource used in the production of goods or services, a factor of production. (Scotland) A steward or bailiff of an estate. ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== Other terms used in arithmetic operations: Advanced hyperoperations: tetration, pentation, hexation === Verb === factor (third-person singular simple present factors, present participle factoring, simple past and past participle factored) (transitive) To find all the factors of (a number or other mathematical object) (the objects that divide it evenly). (transitive) To rewrite an expression as the product of its factors. (of a number or other mathematical object, intransitive) To be a product of other objects. (commercial, transitive) To sell a debt or debts to an agent (the factor) to collect. ==== Derived terms ==== factor in factor out refactor ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “factor”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “factor”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin factōrem. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [fəkˈto] IPA(key): (Valencia) [fakˈtoɾ] === Noun === factor m (plural factors) doer, agent (someone who does something) factor (element, important part) (biology, mathematics) factor (railroad) porter (business, commerce) agent (someone who buys and sells on someone else's behalf) === Further reading === “factor”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 == Dutch == === Etymology === From Middle Dutch factoor, from Middle French facteur, from Latin factor (“a doer, maker, performer”), from factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈfɑk.tɔr/ Hyphenation: fac‧tor === Noun === factor m (plural factoren, diminutive factortje n) a factor, element (mathematics) factor (obsolete) business representative ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Afrikaans: faktor → Indonesian: faktor → West Frisian: faktor == Latin == === Etymology === From faciō (“to do, make”) +‎ -tor (masculine agent noun suffix). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈfak.tɔr] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈfak.tor] === Noun === factor m (genitive factōris); third declension One who or which does or makes something; doer, maker, performer, perpetrator, agent, player. Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipoténtem, factórem cæli et terræ ― I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth. (sports) player, batsman ==== Declension ==== Third-declension noun. ==== Related terms ==== factus factura ==== Descendants ==== === References === “factor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press "factor", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887) “factor”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette. “factor”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers “factor”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin == Portuguese == === Noun === factor m (plural factores) pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1990 in Portugal) of fator; still used where the agreement hasn’t come into effect and may occur as a sporadic misspelling === Further reading === “factor”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French facteur. === Noun === factor m (plural factori) factor postal worker, postman, mailman ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /faɡˈtoɾ/ [faɣ̞ˈt̪oɾ] Rhymes: -oɾ Syllabification: fac‧tor === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Latin factor. Compare the inherited doublet hechor (cf. malhechor). ==== Noun ==== factor m (plural factores) factor ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 2 === From facto (“a trufax”), from English fact, itself from Old French fact, from Latin factum. Compare with the Internet slang interjection facts used to express agreement. ==== Noun ==== factor m (plural factores) (Internet slang) an opinion considered a true fact; a trufax; a truth [from 2010s]. Synonyms: hecho, (Internet slang) facto ===== Usage notes ===== As a direct object, it's usually accompanied by the verbs soltar, decir, tirar, all meaning spill (to express) in this context. === Further reading === “factor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025