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View synonyms for latent

latent

[ leyt-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. Compare dormant ( def 4 ).
  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.


latent

/ 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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈlatently, adverb
  • ˈlatency, noun
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Other Words From

  • la·tent·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of latent1

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

Origin of latent1

C17: from Latin latēnt-, from latens present participle of latēre to lie hidden
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Synonym Study

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.
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Example Sentences

In the vast majority of people, such TB is latent and cannot be spread to others in this inactive state.

From Salon

But it underlined an obsession with a murder suspect that has gripped social media since the killing on 4 December, fuelled by latent anger directed at America's private health insurers.

From BBC

This means the adaptation behaviors the bats employed weren't learned; they were innate, latent and hard-wired into the bats' brain circuitry.

Even with lifelong ART treatment, the virus remains latent in reservoirs throughout the body that can reactivate at any time, and over the long-term, these reservoirs can contribute to chronic inflammation and comorbidities.

They wanted to investigate the ability of the substance's latent pores to separate two different forms of decalin.

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latensifylatent ambiguity

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