Element vs. Factor

Element vs. Factor — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Element and Factor

Elementnoun

One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.

Letters are the elements of written language.

Factornoun

(obsolete) A doer, maker; a person who does things for another person or organization.

The factor of the trading post bought the furs.

Elementnoun

(chemistry) Any one of the simplest chemical substances that cannot be decomposed in a chemical reaction or by any chemical means and made up of atoms all having the same number of protons.

Factornoun

An agent or representative.

1985 Haynes Owners Workshop Manual, BMW

Elementnoun

One of the four basic building blocks of matter in theories of ancient philosophers and alchemists: water, earth, fire, and air.

Factornoun

(legal)

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Elementnoun

(legal) A required aspect or component of a cause of action. A deed is regarded as a violation of law only if each element can be proved.

Factornoun

A commission agent.

Elementnoun

(set theory) One of the objects in a set.

Factornoun

A person or business organization that provides money for another's new business venture; one who finances another's business.

Elementnoun

Any of the teeth of a zip fastener.

Factornoun

A business organization that lends money on accounts receivable or buys and collects accounts receivable.

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Elementnoun

A small part of the whole.

an element of doubt;an element of the picture

Factornoun

One of the elements, circumstances, or influences which contribute to produce a result.

The greatest factor in the decision was the need for public transportation.The economy was a factor in this year's budget figures.

Elementnoun

Atmospheric forces such as strong winds and rains.

exposed to the elements

Factornoun

(mathematics) Any of various objects multiplied together to form some whole.

3 is a factor of 12, as are 2, 4 and 6.The factors of the Klein four-group are both cyclic of order 2.

Elementnoun

A place or state of being that an individual or object is best suited to.

to be in one's element

Factornoun

(root cause 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.

Elementnoun

The bread and wine taken at Holy Communion.

Factornoun

(economics) A resource used in the production of goods or services, a factor of production.

Elementnoun

A group of people within a larger group having a particular common characteristic.

You sometimes find the hooligan element at football matches.

Factornoun

(Scotland) A steward or bailiff of an estate.

Elementnoun

A component in electrical equipment, often in the form of a coil, having a high resistance, thereby generating heat when a current is passed through it.

The element in this electric kettle can heat the water in under a minute.

Factorverb

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

Elementnoun

(computing) One of the conceptual objects in a markup language, usually represented in text by tags.

Factorverb

To be a product of other objects.

Elementverb

(obsolete) To compound of elements.

Factorverb

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

Elementverb

(obsolete) To constitute and be the elements of.

Factornoun

anything that contributes causally to a result;

a number of factors determined the outcome

Elementnoun

an abstract part of something;

jealousy was a component of his charactertwo constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmonythe grammatical elements of a sentencea key factor in her successhumor: an effective ingredient of a speech

Factornoun

an abstract part of something;

jealousy was a component of his charactertwo constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmonythe grammatical elements of a sentencea key factor in her successhumor: an effective ingredient of a speech

Elementnoun

any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

Factornoun

any of the numbers (or symbols) that form a product when multiplied together

Elementnoun

an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system;

spare components for carsa component or constituent element of a system

Factornoun

one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer;

what are the 4 factors of 6?

Elementnoun

one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe;

the alchemists believed that there were four elements

Factornoun

a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission

Elementnoun

the most favorable environment for a plant or animal;

water is the element of fishes

Factornoun

an independent variable in statistics

Elementnoun

the situation in which you are happiest and most effective;

in your element

Factornoun

(genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity;

genes were formerly called factors

Elementnoun

a straight line that generates a cylinder or cone

Factorverb

resolve into factors;

a quantum computer can factor the number 15