latent: Meaning and Definition of

la•tent

Pronunciation: (lāt'nt), [key]
— adj.
  1. present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential: latent ability.
  2. (of an infectious agent or disease) remaining in an inactive or hidden phase; dormant.
  3. existing in unconscious or dormant form but potentially able to achieve expression: a latent emotion.
  4. (of buds that are not externally manifest) dormant or undeveloped.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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