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Mathematics vocabulary · Numbers and Operations

Factor

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ˈfæktər/nounCore term

In mathematics, factor means: A number or expression that divides another exactly, with no remainder; the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.

In Turkish: çarpan, bölen

How it is used

Very common in arithmetic and algebra: 'list the factors', 'prime factors', 'a common factor'. It is also a verb: to 'factor' (US) or 'factorise' (UK) an expression means to write it as a product, as in x² − 9 = (x − 3)(x + 3).

Example sentences

  1. Is 6 a factor of 84? Yes, because 84 divided by 6 is 14.

  2. Take out the common factor of 3 before you factorise any further.

Common collocations

  • common factor
  • prime factor
  • factor of
  • highest common factor
  • take out a factor
  • prime numberA whole number greater than 1 whose only factors are 1 and itself, such as 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11.
  • productThe result you get when you multiply numbers or expressions together; for example, the product of 3 and 5 is 15.
  • greatest common divisorThe largest whole number that divides two or more numbers exactly; the greatest common divisor of 12 and 18 is 6.
  • polynomialAn expression made of terms with whole-number powers of a variable, added or subtracted, such as 3x⁴ − 2x² + x − 7.
  • simplifyTo write a fraction or expression in its shortest and clearest form without changing its value, for example writing 6/8 as 3/4.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Numbers and Operations

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