What term refers to whole numbers greater than 1 that possess more than two different factors?

The term that refers to whole numbers greater than 1 that possess more than two different factors is composite numbers. A composite number is defined specifically as a positive integer that has at least one positive divisor other than one or itself, which means it must have more than two factors.

For example, the number 4 is a composite number because its factors are 1, 2, and 4. In contrast, prime numbers, which are also whole numbers greater than 1, only have two distinct factors: 1 and the number itself, such as 3 or 5. Quadratic numbers do not fall into this category as they refer to numbers that can be expressed as the square of an integer. Whole numbers is a broader category that includes all non-negative integers, which does not specifically address the nature of their factors. Thus, composite numbers specifically capture the concept of numbers that have multiple factors beyond just their own identity and one.