Branching factor is a term often used in computer science and mathematics to describe the number of sub-branches that exist in a decision tree. However, there are several synonyms for this term that can be used interchangeably. One of these synonyms is "degree of branching," which refers to the number of branches that stem from a single node in a tree. Another synonym is "fan-out," which describes the number of outputs that result from a single input. Additionally, "branching ratio" is another term that can be used to describe the same concept as branching factor, referring to the number of child nodes present in a single parent node. Overall, these synonyms provide interchangeable ways to describe different aspects of the same concept.