Factor
English Meaning
One who transacts business for another; an agent; a substitute; especially, a mercantile agent who buys and sells goods and transacts business for others in commission; a commission merchant or consignee. He may be a home factor or a foreign factor. He may buy and sell in his own name, and he is intrusted with the possession and control of the goods; and in these respects he differs from a broker.
- One that actively contributes to an accomplishment, result, or process: "Surprise is the greatest factor in war” ( Tom Clancy). See Synonyms at element.
- One who acts for someone else; an agent.
- A person or firm that accepts accounts receivable as security for short-term loans.
- Mathematics One of two or more quantities that divides a given quantity without a remainder. For example, 2 and 3 are factors of 6; a and b are factors of ab.
- A quantity by which a stated quantity is multiplied or divided, so as to indicate an increase or decrease in a measurement: The rate increased by a factor of ten.
- A gene. No longer in technical usage.
- Physiology A substance that functions in a specific biochemical reaction or bodily process, such as blood coagulation.
- To determine or indicate explicitly the factors of.
- factor in To figure in: We factored sick days and vacations in when we prepared the work schedule.
