Latent variable

In statistics, latent variables (from Latin: present participle of lateo (“lie hidden”), as opposed to observable variables), are variables that are not directly observed but are rather inferred (through a mathematical model) from other variables that are observed (directly measured). Mathematical models that aim to explain observed variables in terms of latent variables are called latent variable models. Latent variable models are used in many disciplines, including psychology, economics, medicine, physics, machine learning/artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, natural language processing, econometrics, management and the social sciences.