Latente

Latente is a term used in several Romance languages as an adjective meaning latent, hidden, or dormant. It stems from Latin latens, the present participle of latere, meaning to lie hidden. In Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, latente describes phenomena or states that exist but are not immediately visible or active.

In science and medicine, latente appears in phrases such as infección latente (latent infection), periodo latente (latent period), and calor latente (latent heat). In psychology and statistics, it is used to refer to latent constructs or latent variables, which are underlying factors inferred from observable data rather than directly measured.

In linguistics and philosophy, latente can describe hidden structures or meanings within systems, texts, or arguments. As a proper noun, Latente may occur as a surname or as part of a title or brand name in various regions; such uses are context-dependent and not tied to a single universal meaning.