multifactorial
|mul-ti-fac-tor-i-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌmʌltiˈfæktɔːriəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌmʌltiˈfækt(ə)rɪəl/
caused by many factors
Etymology
'multifactorial' originates from the combination of the Latin prefix 'multi-' (from Latin 'multus' meaning 'many') and the adjective 'factorial' (formed from Latin 'factor' meaning 'maker, doer' plus the adjectival suffix '-ial').
'multifactorial' is a Modern English formation (20th century) combining 'multi-' + 'factorial'. 'Factor' entered English from Latin 'factor' (via Old French), 'factorial' developed in English from 'factor' + '-ial', and 'multi-' has been used as a productive prefix meaning 'many'.
The components originally meant 'many' (multi-) and 'related to factors or makers' (factor + -ial). Over time the compounded word came to mean specifically 'involving multiple causal factors', especially in medicine and genetics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a trait, condition, or problem that is multifactorial in nature (i.e., caused by several interacting factors).
Researchers studied the multifactorial behind the community's high disease rates.
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Adjective 1
involving, resulting from, or determined by multiple factors; not attributable to a single cause (often used in medicine, genetics, epidemiology, and social sciences).
Many common disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, are considered multifactorial.
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Last updated: 2025/12/08 02:36