latent

adjective

his latent skills

Syn:

dormant, untapped, unused, undiscovered, hidden, concealed, underlying, invisible, unseen, undeveloped, unrealized, unfulfilled, potential

••

latent, abeyant, dormant, quiescent, potential

All of these words refer to what is not currently observable or showing signs of activity. A latent talent is one that has not yet manifested itself, while potential suggests a talent that exists in an undeveloped state (a potential concert violinist). A child may have certain latent qualities of which his or her parents are unaware; but teachers are usually quick to spot a potential artist or poet in the classroom. Dormant and quiescent are less frequently associated with people and more often associated with things. A volcano might be described as dormant, which applies to anything that is currently inactive but has been active in the past and is capable of becoming active again in the future. Dormant carries the connotation of sleeping (plants that are dormant in the winter), while quiescent means motionless (a quiescent sea), emphasizing inactivity without referring to past or future activity. Abeyant, like dormant, means suspended or temporarily inactive, but it is most commonly used as a noun (personal rights and privileges kept in abeyance until the danger had passed).