factorise

5 synonyms and 2 antonyms for factorise, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — In mathematics: rewrite a number or expression as a product of its factors.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

factor

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

break down decompose factorize separate out

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

In mathematics: rewrite a number or expression as a product of its factors.

“Factorise x squared plus 5x plus 6 into (x + 2)(x + 3).”

factor break down decompose factorize

Opposites

expand multiply out

2. verb

More generally, break something down into the separate parts that combine to produce it.

“The model factorises risk into three independent components.”

decompose separate out

How to use factorise

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

factorise fully factorise the quadratic factorise into primes

Technical; standard in school and university mathematics.

Etymology

From factor, from Latin facere 'to make, do', with the verb-forming suffix -ise.

Full origin of factorise →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between factorise and expand?

They are opposite operations. Expanding multiplies out the brackets — (x + 2)(x + 3) becomes x² + 5x + 6. Factorising goes the other way, putting the brackets back in. A good check on your factorising is to expand it again and see if you get the original.

Is it factorise or factorize?

Both are correct: factorise is the usual British and Australian spelling, factorize the American one, and Oxford style also uses -ize in British English. Americans more often just say 'factor' as the verb.

People also searched

factor expand decompose

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of factorise