latent

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Existing or present but concealed or inactive.

2. 2

   Remaining in an inactive or hidden phase

   Remaining in an inactive or hidden phase; dormant.

3. 3

   Lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for development or manifestation.

4. ›+ 3 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      The residue left by a person's finger that can be made visible by a process such as…

      The residue left by a person's finger that can be made visible by a process such as powder dusting; a latent fingerprint.

      • Paralegal workers do not argue cases in court, and these crimescene fingerprint gatherers do not compare crime-scene latents to known prints of suspects and present their findings in court.
   2. 5

      An underlying cause that can be inferred from statistical correlations

      An underlying cause that can be inferred from statistical correlations; factor.

      • That is, the observed covariance between indicator y₁ and y₃ would mirror the understandable causal behavior of the corresponding underlying latents.
      • If one were to compute the reproduced covariances among the latents of the structural model, they might be different from the covariances obtained between the same number of latents in the measurement model.
   3. 6

      Anything that is latent.

      • Even if latents may not be actually detectable in any given situation, they may nevertheless be present in it. Latents may become actual if proper triggering conditions are in place, or they may be lost in the process.
      • After we discovered Leah and I realized what she was, the flood gates opened. More and more latents have been discovered, as well as cubs.

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