latents

Noun

latent (plural latents)

1. (forensics) The residue left by a person's finger that can be made visible by a process such as powder dusting; a latent fingerprint.
   • Once the latent prints have been visualized by the superglue and powder dusting techniques, they should be photographed again. Then the developed latents need to be lifted and placed on backing cards. The latent cards are documented by putting the case number, date and time of lifting, initials of...2001, Henry C. Lee, Timothy Palmbach, Marilyn T. Miller, Henry Lee's Crime Scene Handbook, →ISBN, page 383
2. An underlying cause that can be inferred from statistical correlations; factor.
   • These kinds of latents define the invariant dispositional properties enabling prediction and control of the external environment. Finally, there are the latents that underlie manifestation as relationships of power, as cause to effect, condition to occurrence, or dependent variable to independent...1975, Rudolph J. Rummel, Understanding Conflict and War, →ISBN
3. 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.2011, Javier Cumpa, Erwin Tegtmeier, Ontological Categories, →ISBN, page 158

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