a factor of four

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a factor of four" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in mathematical or scientific contexts to indicate that one quantity is four times another quantity. Example: "The new engine is more efficient, providing a factor of four improvement in fuel consumption compared to the old model."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As "fun" gained influence, mentions of "pleasure" fell by a factor of four.

The New York Times

By contrast, computing costs would have dropped by perhaps a factor of four in that time span.

The New York Times

Assume that volume increases four-fold on black friday, and thus overhead costs decrease by a factor of four.

The Economist

The only land usage that has increased – by a factor of four since 1984 – is of "uncropped agricultural land" or, more prosaically, farmland that isn't being farmed.

The Guardian - Business

If the mother had anemia, the risk of anorexia was more than doubled, and maternal diabetes increased the risk by a factor of four.

The New York Times

Though we participate in these types of surgeries on a regular basis, none of us came close in fact, we underestimated the cost by a factor of four.

The New Yorker

Eventually, he wrote out a prescription for contacts, and, when I used them, my vision improved by a factor of four.

The New Yorker

There are more mobile devices than toothbrushes, more than the computer by a factor of four".

TechCrunch

(c, g) Super-resolved by a factor of four with the methods in [8, 23].

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Therefore we reduced the size of datasets by a factor of four.

Journal of Cheminformatics

bariatric surgeon's malpractice insurance has increased by a factor of four in the past year.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a factor of four", ensure the context clearly establishes what is being multiplied. For instance, "The speed increased by a factor of four" clarifies that the final speed is four times the initial speed.

Common error

Avoid using "a factor of four" without explicitly stating the initial value or baseline. Omitting this information can lead to ambiguity and misinterpretation of the magnitude of change.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a factor of four" functions as a modifier to quantify the extent of change, usually an increase or decrease. Ludwig provides numerous examples across various fields demonstrating this usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a factor of four" is a common and grammatically correct way to express that one quantity is four times another. As highlighted by Ludwig, it frequently appears in scientific, news, and business contexts, providing a clear and concise way to describe proportional changes. While versatile, ensure clarity by explicitly stating the initial or baseline value to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives like "fourfold increase" or "quadrupled" offer similar meanings, but "a factor of four" provides a specific quantitative assessment.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fourfold increase

Emphasizes the increase is four times the original amount.

four times greater

Emphasizes the magnitude of the difference.

four times as much

Indicates a quantity four times larger than another.

increased by a multiple of four

Highlights the multiplicative relationship of the increase.

quadrupled

Expresses a direct multiplication by four.

magnified by four times

Focuses on the scaling effect of the increase.

increased four times over

Specifies the proportional extent of the increase.

increased to four times its size

Focuses on the final size relative to the original.

grew by a power of four

Suggests a significant, exponential increase.

multiplied by a coefficient of four

Highlights the multiplicative aspect of the relationship.

FAQs

How can I use "a factor of four" in a sentence?

Use "a factor of four" to describe a quantity that has increased or decreased proportionally. For example, "Production increased by "a factor of four" this quarter" means production is now four times what it was previously.

What are some alternatives to "a factor of four"?

Alternatives include "fourfold increase", "quadrupled", or "four times as much", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. Each alternative emphasizes different aspects of the proportional change.

Is it better to say "increased by a factor of four" or "increased four times"?

"Increased by "a factor of four"" is generally clearer as it explicitly states the multiplicative relationship. "Increased four times" can sometimes be misinterpreted to mean an increase of 400%.

What's the difference between "a factor of four" and "an increase of four"?

"A factor of four" means something is multiplied by four, resulting in a value four times the original. "An increase of four" means a quantity has been added, resulting in a value that is the original plus four.