fac‧tor 1 S3 W1 AC / fæktə $ -ər / 名词 [可数名词]

1 cause/influence one of several things that influence or cause a situation :

The rise in crime is mainly due to social and economic factors.

factor in

The vaccination program has been a major factor in the improvement of health standards.

important/major/key/crucial factor

The weather could be a crucial factor in tomorrow’s game.

deciding/decisive/determining factor (= the most important factor )

We liked both houses, but price was the deciding factor.

2 level on a scale a particular level on a scale that measures how strong or effective something is :

factor 15 suntan oil

Even in July the wind chill factor (= the degree to which the air feels colder because of the wind ) can be intense.

3 by a factor of five/ten etc if something increases or decreases by a factor of five, ten etc, it increases or decreases by five times, ten times etc

4 mathematics technical a number that divides into another number exactly :

3 is a factor of 15.

COLLOCATIONS

ADJECTIVES/NOUN + factor

an important factor Human influence has been an important factor as regards climate change.

a major/minor factor (= the most or least important of several factors ) The country’s huge mineral reserves are a major factor behind its economic strength.

a key/crucial factor (= a very important factor ) A key factor in a company’s success is knowing its customers.

the deciding factor (= the reason for making a particular choice ) The closeness of the river was probably the deciding factor when the site was chosen.

the decisive/determining factor (= the one that has the biggest effect ) The support of middle-income voters was the decisive factor in the election.

a contributing factor (= one that helps to make something happen ) Stress is a contributing factor in many illnesses.

economic factors Economic factors limit our options.

environmental factors Various environmental factors affect the growth of grapes.

social factors Social factors have played their part in the decline in family sizes.

a risk factor (= something that makes you more likely to have an illness ) The highest risk factor for coronary heart disease was found to be smoking.

动词

depend on certain factors Success depends on certain factors.

factors influence something Various factors influenced the government’s decision.

factors determine something The final cost of the product was determined by a combination of factors.

factors are responsible for something These underlying factors were responsible for his death.

短语

a combination/variety/number of factors A combination of factors led to the closure of the factory.

take certain factors into account (= to consider factors when making a decision ) You should take all these factors into account.