factorial

[ fak-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr- ]

noun

1. Mathematics. the product of a given positive integer multiplied by all lesser positive integers: The quantity four factorial (4!) = 4 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 1 = 24. : n!, where n is the given integer.

adjective

1. Mathematics. of or relating to factors or factorials.
2. of or relating to a factor or a factory.

factorial

/ fækˈtɔːrɪəl /

noun

1. the product of all the positive integers from one up to and including a given integer. Factorial zero is assigned the value of one: factorial four is 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 . Symbol: n !, where n is the given integer

adjective

1. of or involving factorials or factors

factorial

/ făk-tôr′ē-əl /

1. The product of all of the positive integers from 1 to a given positive integer. It is written as the given integer followed by an exclamation point. For example, the factorial of 4 (written 4!) is 1 × 2 × 3 × 4, or 24.

Derived Forms

• facˈtorially, adverb

Other Words From

• fac·tori·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of factorial¹

First recorded in 1810–20; factor + -ial

Example Sentences

The number of possible arrangements of a deck of cards is so high — the factorial of 52, which is 8 followed by 67 digits — that every time you shuffle a deck, it is very likely in a sequence that no deck has been in thus far in human history.

From New York Times

It is called “10 factorial” and stands for 10 × 9 × 8 × 7 × 6 × … × 1, or 3,628,800, a seven-digit number, hardly in the same ballpark as the enormous donation.

From Washington Post

Factorial executives, who have stopped returning calls from automakers offering bags of money, are developing a battery that can charge faster, hold more energy and be less likely to overheat than current batteries.

From Seattle Times

“Money can come and go,” said Siyu Huang, a co-founder at Factorial, who began experimenting with battery technology as a graduate student at Cornell University.

From Seattle Times

Auto giants such as Stellantis, which owns Ram and Jeep, are lavishing cash on startups such as Factorial Energy, which has fewer than 100 employees in an office park in Woburn, near Boston.

From Seattle Times