latent

Latent is an adjective meaning existing but not yet visible, active, or realized; something that is present in potential form but not manifest.

In thermodynamics, latent refers to latent heat, the energy absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change at a constant temperature, such as melting or boiling, which occurs without a change in the substance's temperature.

In statistics and data analysis, a latent variable is a variable that cannot be directly observed but is inferred from observed data. Latent variable models, including factor analysis and structural equation modeling, seek to explain observed relationships through underlying latent constructs. The term is also used in machine learning to describe latent representations or latent spaces that map data to compact, abstract features.

In medicine, latent can describe a latent period—the interval between exposure to an infectious agent and the onset of symptoms—and latent infections, where the organism persists without symptoms but may reactivate later.

In forensics and imaging, latent may describe latent fingerprints—prints that remain invisible until developed. In photography and film, a latent image is an unseen image formed on a light-sensitive surface that becomes visible only after development.