: present and capable of emerging or developing but not now visible, obvious, active, or symptomatic
a latent infection
latently
adverb
: a fingerprint (as at the scene of a crime) that is scarcely visible but can be developed for study
called also latent fingerprint, latent print
Synonyms
Examples of latent in a Sentence
Adjective
On the ground in Afghanistan there is some latent, if wary, gratitude for American aid over the years, but no one expects to build a foundation for the Taliban's downfall on a couple of million rice cakes.
—
Michael Duffy, Time, 15 Oct. 2001
There were such inexhaustible possibilities still before her, such opportunities to bring out the latent graces of the old place, without a single irreverent touch of alteration, that the winter months were all too short to plan what spring and autumn executed.
—Edith Wharton, Afterward, 1910
Calm, gentle, passionless, as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet depth of malice, hitherto latent, but active now, in this unfortunate old man, which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy.
—Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, 1850
he has a latent talent for acting that he hasn't had a chance to express yet
Michael Duffy, Time, 15 Oct. 2001
There were such inexhaustible possibilities still before her, such opportunities to bring out the latent graces of the old place, without a single irreverent touch of alteration, that the winter months were all too short to plan what spring and autumn executed.
—Edith Wharton, Afterward, 1910
Calm, gentle, passionless, as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet depth of malice, hitherto latent, but active now, in this unfortunate old man, which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy.
—Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, 1850
he has a latent talent for acting that he hasn't had a chance to express yet
Recent Examples on the Web
Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2025
Perhaps because the birds had flown north, no one thought at first that this juvenile wanderlust might be an expression of a latent migratory instinct.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The sequence of Harriet and Bill, though only twenty-four minutes long, sketches depths of torment latent in family life with a nerve-jangling power to match dramatic films by Nicholas Ray.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for latent 
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Adjective
That’s because their bodies can fight the germs, a condition known as latent TB infection (LTBI).
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2025
Perhaps because the birds had flown north, no one thought at first that this juvenile wanderlust might be an expression of a latent migratory instinct.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
Additionally, 79 latent infections—77 in Wyandotte County and 2 in Johnson County—have been identified.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The sequence of Harriet and Bill, though only twenty-four minutes long, sketches depths of torment latent in family life with a nerve-jangling power to match dramatic films by Nicholas Ray.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for latent
Dictionary Entries Near latent
Cite this Entry
“Latent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/latent. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
latent
adjective
la·tent
ˈlāt-ᵊnt 
: existing in hidden or dormant form: as
a
: present or capable of living or developing in a host without producing visible symptoms of disease
a latent virus
a latent infection
b
: not consciously expressed
latent anxiety
c
: relating to or being the latent content of a dream or thought
latently
adverb
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