multifactorial

multifactorial

English

Etymology

    From multi- + factorial.

    Pronunciation

    • Rhymes: -ɔːɹiəl

    Adjective

    multifactorial (not comparable)

    1. Involving, or controlled by multiple factors.
      • 1989 August 19, Bob Lederer, “Hiding Behind HIV”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 6, page 8:
        [] a pattern in medical research on infectious and degenerative diseases in the United States. That pattern shows three main built-in biases: 1) towards a single-agent theory of disease, as opposed to a multi-factorial analysis; 2) []
      • 2021 February 2, Katharine Murphy, The Guardian[1], archived from the original on 25 April 2022:
        One of the under-reported dynamics during the coronavirus pandemic has been the collapse of One Nation’s vote. The reasons for this are likely multi-factorial.
      • 2025 September 12, Jacqueline Howard, Deidre McPhillips, “In meeting with RFK Jr., CEO of Tylenol maker stresses there is no clear link between medication and autism, WSJ reports”, in CNN[2], archived from the original on 2 October 2025:
        “Neurodevelopmental disorders, in particular, are multifactorial and very difficult to associate with a singular cause. Pregnant patients should not be frightened away from the many benefits of acetaminophen, which is safe and one of the few options pregnant people have for pain relief.”
    2. (genetics, of a trait) Involving multiple genetic or environmental factors.

    Derived terms

    Translations

    Noun

    multifactorial (plural multifactorials)

    1. (mathematics) A generalization of a factorial in which each element to be multiplied differs from the next by an integer (e.g. n(n-3)(n-6)(n-9)...).

    See also

    Spanish

    Etymology

    From multi- +‎ factorial.

    Adjective

    multifactorial m or f (masculine and feminine plural multifactoriales)

    1. multifactorial

    Further reading