What does latent mean? Easily explained
Latent is a commonly used word. Many people use it without really knowing what it means. In this article we explain where the word comes from and in what context it fits.
Latent - a simple explanation of the meaning
- Latent comes from the Latin word "lantens", which means "hidden" or "hidden".
- The adjective "latent" describes something that exists but is not (yet) obvious.
- So latent is something that is hidden, but is likely to appear at some point.
- For example, there can be latent aggression in a group. The aggression is then present, but does not break out (yet). The fists are already clenched in your pocket.
- In medicine, "latent" describes when a disease already exists, but the symptoms are not yet completely pronounced. An example of this would be latent depression: the affected person has depressive features in isolated cases, but the disease has not yet completely broken out with all the side effects. However, the disease is still beyond the perception of the person concerned or the doctor.
In our next home language tip, we'll explain what an adverb is.