multifactorial

[ muhl-tee-fak-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-, muhl-tahy- ]

adjective

1. having or stemming from a number of different causes or influences:

   Some medical researchers regard cancer as a multifactorial disease.

multifactorial

/ ˌmʌltɪfækˈtɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. genetics of or designating inheritance that depends on more than one gene
2. involving or including a number of elements or factors

Other Words From

• multi·fac·tori·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of multifactorial¹

First recorded in 1915–20; multi- + factor + -ial

Example Sentences

Research has led experts to unlock the multifactorial causes of obesity, including sociological and physiological determinants of health.

From Science Daily

Muscle strength is a multifactorial trait influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors but also by numerous genetic variants, each with a very small effect on muscle strength.

From Science Daily

“This could be a multifactorial presentation that we're seeing,” Lyons said.

From Science Magazine

“That just highlights the fact that autoimmunity is multifactorial, there's not a single cause or only a single way to get there,” Chang said.

From Salon

Her problems could now be labeled multifactorial, her appointment fundamentally flawed — misguided cultural elites had bent the puzzle to make the piece fit, and now it was coming undone.

From Seattle Times