factor out
factor out
1. To exclude something or keep it from being incorporated into something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "factor" and "out." Before you accept this job offer, you need to factor out everyone else's opinions and think about what you really want.
2. In mathematics, to change an equation so that something (such as a variable) used multiple times is instead used once. A noun or pronoun can be used between "factor" and "out." OK, what do we need to factor out in order solve this equation?
See also: factor, out
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
factor out
v.
1. To reanalyze a situation or problem in order to remove something from consideration: If we factor out personal details, it seems that everyone has the same story. If we factor the bad data out, the results are predictable.
2. Mathematics To rewrite an expression so that something, especially a constant or variable, appearing more than once in the expression appears only once: By factoring the shared terms out of the expression, we can easily solve the equation. The teacher factored out 3x from both sides of the equation 6x^3 + 9x^2 + 12x = 24x.
See also: factor, out
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
- add in
- all right
- a/the feel of (something)
- (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
- a straw will show which way the wind blows
- a crack at (someone or something)
- (you) wanna make something of it?
- all for the best
- a thing of the past
- a slew of (something)