latent

American  

[leyt-nt] / ˈleɪt nt /

adjective

1. present but not visible, apparent, or activated; existing as potential.

   latent ability.

   Synonyms:

   veiled, quiescent, dormant

   Antonyms:

   active, open

2. Pathology. (of an infectious agent or disease) in a phase of being hidden or unrecognized; not yet exhibiting symptoms.

3. Psychology. existing in unconscious or dormant form but potentially able to achieve expression.

   latent learning,

   a latent emotion.

4. Botany. (of buds that are not externally manifest) dormant or undeveloped.

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latent British  

/ ˈleɪtənt /

adjective

1. potential but not obvious or explicit

2. (of buds, spores, etc) dormant

3. pathol (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. psychoanal relating to that part of a dream expressive of repressed desires Compare manifest

   latent content

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Related Words

Latent, potential refer to powers or possibilities existing but hidden or not yet actualized. Latent emphasizes the hidden character or the dormancy of what is named: latent qualities, defects, diseases. That which is potential exists in an as yet undeveloped state, but is thought of as capable of coming into full being or activity at some future time: potential genius, tragedy. Potential may be applied also to tangibles: High-tension wires are a potential source of danger.

Other Word Forms

• latency noun
• latently adverb

Etymology

Origin of latent

First recorded before 1610–20; from Latin latent- (stem of latēns ), present participle of latēre “to lie hidden”; see -ent

Explanation

Latent is an adjective that you use to describe something that is capable of becoming active or at hand, though it is not currently so. The adjective latent is a tricky word to define because it refers to something there but not there. That is, latent means something that is capable of becoming active or at hand but has not yet achieved that state. The word arrived in Middle English from the Latin word latēre which means "to lie hidden." It can have somewhat negative connotations because it is often used in a medical context, as in a latent illness or infection, but it can also mean good things, such as someone discovering they have latent talents or capabilities.

Example Sentences

Patients may be exposed to EBV through donor organs that carry a latent form of the virus.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

She wants to show how there’s latent wisdom to the rule that was incorporated into this history.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

Such clout also made Zhang a potential alternate power center to Xi, who has routinely neutered even latent threats to his dominance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

The San Francisco Department of Public Health issued a health advisory last week after identifying three active cases and 50 latent cases of tuberculosis at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

He was simply the one—as a Chief Rabbit ought to be—through whom a strong feeling, latent throughout the warren, had come to the surface.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• inherent
• lurking
• smoldering
• suppressed
• underlying
• unrealized
• veiled