# latent variable

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A variable that is not directly measured but is inferred by means of a mathematical model from one or more directly observed variables.

## Etymology
The variables are latent (“hidden”) because they are not directly observed, but instead inferred from other variables.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/latent-variable