In a normal Latin square, the entries in each row and column are chosen from a "global" set of objects. Like a Latin square, a partial Latin square has no two rows or columns which contain the same two symbols. However, in a partial Latin square, each cell is assigned one of its own set of possible "local" (and distinct) symbols, chosen from an overall set of more than three distinct symbols, and these symbols may vary from location to location. For example, given the possible symbols which must be arranged as

the partial Latin square

can be constructed.

Cipra, B. "Quite Easily Done." In What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences 2, pp. 41-46, 1994.

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Weisstein, Eric W. "Partial Latin Square." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PartialLatinSquare.html