From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlatentla‧tent /ˈleɪtənt/ adjective HEREHIDE/NOT SHOWsomething that is latent is present but hidden, and may develop or become more noticeable in the future → dormantlatent in The virus remains latent in the body for many years. latent aggression —latency noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
latent• Police experts found latent fingerprints on the glass.• The virus remains latent in the body for many years.Origin latent (1600-1700) Latin present participle of latere “to lie hidden” 