The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word MULTIFACTORIAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
U
L
T
I
F
A
C
T
O
R
I
A
L
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Dependent on a number of elements" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dependent on a number of elements = multifactorial.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MULTIFACTORIAL mean?
MULTIFACTORIAL noun- A generalisation of a factorial in which each element to be multiplied differs from the next by an integer (e.g. n(n-3)(n-6)(n-9)...)
- Involving, or controlled by multiple factors
- (of a trait) Involving multiple genetic and/or environmental factors