Predictive variable (predictor variable)

A predictor variable, predictive variable, or simply predictor is a variable that is included in a statistical model and, based on its specific value, is used to predict the value that a dependent (explained) variable will take. It is also referred to as an explanatory variable.

Example
In a simple regression model, women's height (A, in cm) has been used as the predictor variable for their weight (P, in kg), resulting in the following linear relationship in a group of 20-year-old women:

Thus, for example, for a woman who is 170 cm tall, this relationship predicts that her weight will be 0.5x170-20=65 kilograms.