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Glite Dictionary
latency phase

latency phase

9.6
A stage in child development from about five until puberty when children focus on learning and friends
  • noun
  • /ˈleɪtənsi feɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fase de latencia

Examples

  • What's even worse is there's a latency phase.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • During the latency phase, children often focus on developing friendships and hobbies instead of romantic interests.

  • The latency phase, which typically occurs between the ages of 6 and 11, is a time when children redirect their energy towards learning and social interactions.

  • Parents should be aware that the latency phase is crucial for their child's emotional and social development before the onset of puberty.

Synonyms

latency
vslatency phase
1 7.4

A time when something exists but is not yet active or visible

applies to a specific psychoanalytic childhood time redirecting sexual impulses not any hidden condition
latency period
vslatency phase
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A childhood stage from about age five to puberty when sexual feelings are turned toward school and friends

is the same concept but called with a different time term
latency stage
vslatency phase
  • Specialized
9.3

A childhood period from age five to puberty when sexual feelings are quiet and energy goes into friendships and learning

emphasizes redirection toward other activities rather than repression

Antonyms

puberty
74 2.8

The time when a young person's body changes and becomes able to have children

Surface Forms

latency phase singular
latency phases plural

Morphology

latency + phase

The compound is compositionally straightforward: 'latency' (a period of inactivity) + 'phase' (a stage) yields a stage characterized by latency, so a learner who knows both words can infer a general meaning. However, the specific psychoanalytic details (exact age range and redirection of sexual impulses) are technical and not predictable from the constituents alone, so full understanding requires prior exposure.

Etymology

Latency phase comes from Freud's idea that some sexual feelings are put 'hidden' for a time. The word latency means 'hidden', and the phase is the quiet time before puberty when those feelings are turned into schoolwork, play and friendships, so the phrase means the period when sexual interest is less active.