Sekirov Dictionary

latent

/ˈleɪ.tənt/

adjective 4
noun 3
forms 1

adjective4

Existing or present, but concealed or inactive.
•
Remaining in an inactive or hidden phase; dormant.
- Those infected with a herpes virus are infected for life. That’s because the virus goes "latent." Sometimes, it awakes from its slumber, producing painful illnesses. — 2008
Lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for development or manifestation.
(old-fashioned) Latently homosexual.

noun3

•
The residue left by a person's finger that can be made visible by a process such as powder dusting; a latent fingerprint.
- Paralegal workers do not argue cases in court, and these crimescene fingerprint gatherers do not compare crime-scene latents to known prints of suspects and present their findings in court. — 2008
•
An underlying cause that can be inferred from statistical correlations; factor.
- That is, the observed covariance between indicator y₁ and y₃ would mirror the understandable causal behavior of the corresponding underlying latents. — 2007
•
Anything that is latent.
- After we discovered Leah and I realized what she was, the flood gates opened. More and more latents have been discovered, as well as cubs. — 2016

forms

latents

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