latent

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

adj. See latency.

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

Syn. potential, dormant, quiescent, implied, inherent, undeveloped, unrealized, underdeveloped, torpid, suspended, in abeyance, abeyant, inactive, in the making, possible, intrinsic, sleeping, slumbering, inert, lurking, unexposed, covert, inoperative, suppressed, passive, underlying, contained, unexpressed, tacit, inferred, escaping notice, hidden, unconscious, inferential, between the lines*; see also hidden 2 .

Ant. active*, developed, operative.

Syn.- latent applies to that which exists but is as yet concealed or unrevealed [latent abilities ] ; potential applies to that which exists in an undeveloped state but which can be brought to development in the normal course of events [ a potential concert pianist ] ; dormant suggests a lack of visible activity, as of something asleep [ a dormant volcano ] ; quiescent implies a stopping of activity, usually only temporarily [ the raging sea had become quiescent]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) a.

[LAYT unt]

existing or present beneath the surface, hidden.

He possessed a latent talent that only occasionally emerged.

SYN.: dormant, hidden, under the surface, inactive, quiescent, *closet, slumbering, potential, smoldering, undeveloped.

ANT.: apparent, obvious, active, developed

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) adjective 1. Capable of being but not yet in existence: eventual, possible, potential. See POSSIBLE. 2. Existing in a temporarily inactive form or state: abeyant, dormant, inactive, quiescent, sleeping. See ACTION, SHOW.