X factor

noun

: a circumstance, quality, or person that has a strong but unpredictable influence

Examples of X factor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An X factor is Trump’s rally last month at Madison Square Garden, which could have turned the race around in Harris’s favor. Byjason Ma, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024 Possible X factors Of course, the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections are not carbon copies of each other. Dorian Rhea Debussy, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2024 The X factor: Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump was supposed to hit the Trump campaign like a lightning bolt. Josh Feldman, NBC News, 1 Sep. 2024 In the tail, a dying Wilford spoke of how there was one X factor that Layton & Co. had not accounted for — pride. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 1 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for X factor 

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of X factor was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near X factor

Cite this Entry

“X factor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/X%20factor. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!