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latent

latent

36 7.0
Present but not yet active or visible
  • adjective
  • /ˈleɪtənt/
translation icon : latente
  • And most of the time, consumer interests are latent, but they'll become manifest.
  • latent infection
  • latent TB
  • latent disease

Our potential as human beings is quite often latent unless we bring it out.

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Examples

  • Our potential as human beings is quite often latent unless we bring it out.

  • Everyone has a latent talent for creativity that often only surfaces in the right environment.

  • This capacity to fix things is human capital, and it is latent in every human being.

  • I learned first hand that there are incredible memory capacities latent in all of us.

  • In the early 1970s, this latent shortage of natural gas became all too apparent.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The team's latent skills became apparent when they faced a challenging project together.

  • Many species have latent abilities that help them adapt to changing environments.

Antonyms

664 1.0

Operating now and not stopped

manifest
  • Formal
26 4.2

Easy to see or notice, often showing a feeling

Compounds

latent heat
  • Specialized
1 5.0

Heat taken in or given out when a material changes state, such as melting and boiling

latent content
  • Specialized
9.1

Hidden meaning of a dream that shows wishes or feelings you do not know you have

latent diabetes
  • Specialized
6.0

A mild illness with high blood sugar but no clear signs

Hidden anger or dislike that people do not show

latent period
  • Specialized
6.1

The time between something happening and when its effects appear

latent schizophrenia
  • Specialized
8.7

A mild mental health condition with few clear symptoms that may become worse over time

How Hidden

covert
117 6.8
concealed
5 3.7
latent
36 7.0
visible
398 1.0

Surface Forms

latent positive

Etymology

Latent comes from the old Latin verb latere, which means 'to be hidden'. So something latent is present but not seen or active yet, like a hidden problem, a quiet talent, or a sleeping infection.