latent
/ˈleɪtənt/
adjective
Familiar
1.adj.potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
“a latent fingerprint”
2.adj.(pathology) not presently active
“latent infection”
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latent and latest differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. latent means “potentially existing but not presently evident or realized”. latest means “up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date”. latest is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈleɪtənt/
1.adj.potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
“a latent fingerprint”
2.adj.(pathology) not presently active
“latent infection”
/ˈleɪtəst/
1.adj.up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date
“the news is up-to-the-minute”
2.adj.in the current fashion or style
3.n.the most recent news or development
“have you heard the latest?”
| latent | latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈleɪtənt/ | /ˈleɪtəst/ |
| Said | LAY-tuhnt | LAY-tuhst |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective, noun |
| Senses | 2 | 3 |
| How common | Familiar | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | up-to-the-minute |
Full entry for latent · Full entry for latest · More comparisons