https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08007
Indication obtained from a phenomenon, body, or substance similar to the one under investigation but for which a quantity of interest is supposed not to be present or is not contributing to the indication.
Note: In VIM 4.2, this concept is termed "blank indication" with "background indication" as an alternate term. However, since blank indication refers to the explicit use of a blank material in analytical chemistry, it should be distinguished from the concept "background indication".