Latent is used to describe something which is hidden and not obvious at the moment, but which may develop further in the future.
Advertisements attempt to project a latent meaning behind an overt message.
Synonyms: hidden, secret, concealed, invisible More Synonyms of latent
latent in British English
(ˈleɪtənt)
adjective
1.
potential but not obvious or explicit
2.
(of buds, spores, etc) dormant
3. pathology
(esp of an infectious disease) not yet revealed or manifest
4.
(of a virus) inactive in the host cell, its nucleic acid being integrated into, and replicated with, the host cell's DNA
5. psychoanalysis
relating to that part of a dream expressive of repressed desires
latent content
Compare manifest (sense 2)
Derived forms
latency (ˈlatency) or rare latence (ˈlatence)
noun
latently (ˈlatently)
adverb
Word origin
C17: from Latin latēnt-, from latens present participle of latēre to lie hidden
latent in American English
(ˈleɪtənt)
adjective
1.
present but invisible or inactive; lying hidden and undeveloped within a person or thing, as a quality or power
2. Biology
dormant but capable of normal development under the best conditions
said of buds, spores, cocoons, etc.
3. Psychology
unconsciously but not actively so
a latent homosexual
noun
4.
a fingerprint found on an object as at the scene of a crime
SYNONYMY NOTE: latent applies to that which exists but is as yet concealed or unrevealed [his latent ability]; potential applies to that which exists in an undeveloped state but which can be brought todevelopment 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]
OPPOSITES: active, actual, operative
Derived forms
latency (ˈlatency)
noun
latently (ˈlatently)
adverb
Word origin
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
Examples of 'latent' in a sentence
latent
But there was the capricious look of the latent aesthete in his eyes.
Hilton, John Buxton DISPLACED PERSON (1989)
It had had a strange effect on him, instilled a certain latent sympathy.
Kippax, Frank THE SCAR (1989)
You'll want some sort of latent fingerprint check on the luggage.
Tony Hillerman TALKING GOD (1989)
In other languages
latent
British English: latent ADJECTIVE
Latent is used to describe something which is hidden and not obvious at the moment, but which may develop further in the future.
Advertisements attempt to project a latent meaning behind an overt message.
American English: latent
Brazilian Portuguese: latente
Chinese: 潜在的
European Spanish: latente
French: latent
German: verborgen
Italian: latente
Japanese: 潜在性の
Korean: 잠재된
European Portuguese: latente
Latin American Spanish: latente
All related terms of 'latent'
latent heat
the heat evolved or absorbed by unit mass ( specific latent heat ) or unit amount of substance ( molar latent heat ) when it changes phase without change of temperature
latent time
the time from the onset of a stimulus to that of the response
latent defect
a fault in a property which would not be discovered by a thorough inspection prior to buying it
latent image
the invisible image produced by the action of light, etc, on silver halide crystals suspended in the emulsion of a photographic material. It becomes visible after development
latent period
the incubation period of an infectious disease, before symptoms appear
latent learning
learning mediated neither by reward nor by the expectation of reward
latent ambiguity
uncertainty existing where language employed in an instrument is clear and appears to have but one meaning , yet outside evidence makes it capable of more than one meaning
characteristic root
a scalar for which there exists a nonzero vector such that the scalar times the vector equals the value of the vector under a given linear transformation on a vector space
Chinese translation of 'latent'
latent
(ˈleɪtnt)
adj
[energy, skill, ability]潜(潛)在的 (qiánzài de)
(adjective)
Definition
lying hidden and not yet developed within a person or thing
Advertisements attempt to project a latent meaning behind an overt message.
Synonyms
hidden
Uncover hidden meanings and discover special messages.
secret
It has a secret compartment hidden behind the magical mirror.
concealed
He was filmed with a concealed camera.
invisible
The lines were so fine as to be nearly invisible.
lurking
veiled
inherent
unseen
playing computer games against unseen opponents
dormant
The virus remains dormant in nerve tissue.
undeveloped
quiescent
a quiescent seaside town
immanent
unrealized
unexpressed
Opposites
developed
,
expressed
,
obvious
,
realized
,
apparent
,
evident
,
manifest
,
conspicuous
Additional synonyms
in the sense of concealed
He was filmed with a concealed camera.
Synonyms
hidden,
covered,
secret,
screened,
masked,
obscured,
covert,
unseen,
tucked away,
secreted,
under wraps,
inconspicuous
in the sense of dormant
Definition
temporarily quiet, inactive, or not being used
The virus remains dormant in nerve tissue.
Synonyms
latent,
inactive,
lurking,
quiescent,
unrealized,
unexpressed,
inoperative
in the sense of invisible
Definition
not able to be seen by the eye
The lines were so fine as to be nearly invisible.
Synonyms
unseen,
imperceptible,
indiscernible,
unseeable,
unperceivable
Nearby words of
latent
late-night
lately
lateness
latent
later
lateral
latest
Synonyms of 'latent'
latent
Explore 'latent' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of quiescent
Definition
quiet, inactive, or dormant
a quiescent seaside town
Synonyms
quiet,
still,
peaceful,
calm,
resting,
smooth,
silent,
serene,
tranquil,
dormant,
latent,
motionless,
placid,
undisturbed,
inactive,
unruffled,
unmoving,
in abeyance,
unagitated
in the sense of secret
Definition
kept hidden or separate from the knowledge of all or all but a few others
It has a secret compartment hidden behind the magical mirror.