as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
he has a latent talent for acting that he hasn't had a chance to express yet
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Recent Examples of latent
On the contrary, a state with a latent nuclear program presents a ripe target for adversaries and counterproliferators seeking to prevent weaponization who may be tempted to act swiftly before the window to do so closes and the state can plausibly threaten nuclear retaliation.
—
Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
Perhaps those latent rivulets reside in machines.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Some people have active tuberculosis while others have inactive or latent TB.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Some media reports of AI psychosis note that individuals had no prior mental health diagnoses, but clinicians caution that undetected or latent risk factors may still have been present.
—Robert Hart, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for latent
Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
Perhaps those latent rivulets reside in machines.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Some people have active tuberculosis while others have inactive or latent TB.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Some media reports of AI psychosis note that individuals had no prior mental health diagnoses, but clinicians caution that undetected or latent risk factors may still have been present.
—Robert Hart, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for latent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for latent
Adjective
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The latent varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the body after a person has chicken pox.—
Amy McGorry,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Planting Too Late The best time to plant fruit trees is in spring or fall, when the trees are dormant and the weather is still mild.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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On the right side of the room, a steel cut image is projected from the wall with fiberglass rods arranged in an off center trapezoid.—
Mario Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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And then the third Wednesday is an off week.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Latent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latent. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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