latent Hear it!

latent Definition

la·tent (lāt′'nt)

adjective

  1. present but invisible or inactive; lying hidden and undeveloped within a person or thing, as a quality or power
  2. Biol. dormant but capable of normal development under the best conditions: said of buds, spores, cocoons, etc.
  3. Psychol. unconsciously but not actively so a latent homosexual

Etymology: L latens, prp. of latere, to lie hidden, lurk < IE *lāidh- < base *lā-, to be hidden > ON lōmr, deception, Gr lēthē, forgetfulness, lanthanein, to be hidden

noun

a fingerprint found on an object as at the scene of a crime

latent Related Forms
la′·tency noun la′·tently adverb
latent Synonyms

latent

modif.

potential, dormant, quiescent, implied, inherent, undeveloped, unrealized, underdeveloped, torpid, suspended, in abeyance, abeyant, inactive, in the making, possible, intrinsic, sleeping, slumbering, inert, lurking, unexposed, covert, inoperative, suppressed, passive, underlying, contained, unexpressed, tacit, inferred, escaping notice, hidden, unconscious, inferential, between the lines*; see also hidden 2.

Antonyms active*, developed, operative.

latent applies to that which exists but is as yet concealed or unrevealed latent abilities; potential applies to that which exists in an undeveloped state but which can be brought to development in the normal course of events a potential concert pianist; dormant suggests a lack of visible activity, as of something asleep a dormant volcano; quiescent implies a stopping of activity, usually only temporarily the raging sea had become quiescent

latent Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • already: Meditation is the process of re-discover ing, enjoying and using the positive qualities already latent within you.
  • still: When the ruminant feed ban was introduced, the scale of the epidemic was still latent.
  • hitherto: So what's brought on this rare expression of a hitherto latent double standard?
  • previously: This unexpected relationship brings out new and previously latent aspects of the object.
  • even: Four, many people are part of informal and even latent networks that need to be identified by activists.
  • always: Of course, the advantage of the culturally sedimented idealization of the lifeworld was its always latent, always available state.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • uncover: In this way, she might uncover things latent in the work that even I don¹t know are there.

Modifies a noun

  • heat: Heat capacity, change of phase, latent heat.
  • tendency: The inherent or latent tendencies have been accumulated from life to life.
  • indexing: They make use of a wide range of algorithms such as latent semantic indexing, SVD, Pearson correlation and so on.
  • anti-Semitism: Many Americans ascribe what they regard as a lack of total commitment to the anti-terrorism cause to latent European anti-Semitism.
  • defect: The LDA want the panel to cover construction risk, liability, advance loss of revenue and latent defects.
  • fingerprint: They were able to use gelatin to create fake fingerprints from photographs of latent fingerprints left on glass.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: Many of these were in elderly people who developed infections, which remained latent in the body, many years ago.
  • support: To illustrate this, consider the following: C# clearly does support latent typing.

Preposition: in

  • man: He opens the reader to universal powers latent in man, powers far greater than any psychic abilities.
  • body: Many of these were in elderly people who developed infections, which remained latent in the body, many years ago.