contributing factor

noun

: something that helps cause a result

According to the police report of the accident, excessive speed was a contributing factor.

—often + to/in

The coach's positive attitude was a contributing factor to/in the team's success.

Examples of contributing factor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The inspection of the Accord also allegedly revealed no abnormalities or mechanical defects that would have been the cause or a contributing factor in the collision, the warrant affidavit said. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2025

Researchers don’t yet know whether someone’s difficulty entering REM is only a diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease or a contributing factor to the disease’s onset. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025

Simply put, at the time of the accident, the plane was being handled by Canadian controllers, though there is no indication so far that that was a contributing factor. —Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025

The highly contagious virus was responsible for the deaths of more than 40 million egg-laying birds last year and has been a contributing factor to the soaring price of eggs across the country, as the USDA requires the culling of entire flocks to stop the spread if the virus is detected. —Rebekah Riess, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for contributing factor

• acter
• actor
• tractor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor
• protractor