Meaning

• A doer, maker; a person who does things for another person or organization.

  "The factor of the trading post bought the furs."

• An agent or representative.

• 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.

  "The economy was a factor in this year's budget figures."

• Any of various objects multiplied together to form some whole.

  "3 is a factor of 12, as are 2, 4 and 6."

• (causal analysis) Influence; a phenomenon that affects the nature, the magnitude, and/or the timing of a consequence.

  "The launch temperature was a factor of the Challenger disaster."

• A resource used in the production of goods or services, a factor of production.

• A steward or bailiff of an estate.

Meaning

• To find all the factors of (a number or other mathematical object) (the objects that divide it evenly).

• (of a number or other mathematical object) To be a product of other objects.

• (commercial) To sell a debt or debts to an agent (the factor) to collect.