: 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
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
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
That will allow the TBI to expand forensic biology testing, house between 10 and 23 additional positions, and expand the latent prints unit.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
That a war was on, or latent, or menacing during the whole shooting period set the quixotic mood in which most of the obstacles were confronted.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for latent
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Adjective
But what The Chair Company really achieves is unlocking a latent horror that’s been hanging out within that humor since, at the very least, the Darmine Doggy Door sketch.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
That will allow the TBI to expand forensic biology testing, house between 10 and 23 additional positions, and expand the latent prints unit.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
The latent varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the body after a person has chicken pox.
—Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
That a war was on, or latent, or menacing during the whole shooting period set the quixotic mood in which most of the obstacles were confronted.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for latent
Cite this Entry
“Latent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/latent. Accessed 31 Oct. 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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