1. (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
e.g.genes were formerly called factors
2. an independent variable in statistics
3. an abstract part of something
e.g.jealousy was a component of his character
two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony
the grammatical elements of a sentence
a key factor in her success
humor: an effective ingredient of a speech
4. anything that contributes causally to a result
e.g.a number of factors determined the outcome
5. a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
6. any of the numbers (or symbols) that form a product when multiplied together
7. one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer
e.g.what are the 4 factors of 6?
Synonym: divisor