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Present, but not yet visible, active, or developed; hidden or dormant.
Obwohl er ruhig wirkte, spürte man eine latente Aggressivität in seinen Worten.
Although he seemed calm, you could sense a latent aggressiveness in his words.
As an adjective, 'latent' can stand before a noun or be used with verbs like 'sein' (to be) or 'bleiben' (to remain). It then describes a quality that is not openly visible.
Die latente Bedrohung war für alle spürbar.
The latent threat was perceptible to everyone.
'latent' is almost always used with abstract, often negative nouns. Typical combinations are 'latente Gefahr' (latent danger), 'latentes Risiko' (latent risk), 'latente Kritik' (latent criticism), or 'latente Unzufriedenheit' (latent dissatisfaction).
Experten warnen vor der latenten Gefahr eines neuen Vulkanausbruchs.
Experts warn of the latent danger of a new volcanic eruption.
The word 'latent' belongs to elevated written language. It is often used in formal, scientific, or psychological contexts to describe something that exists beneath the surface.
In der Studie wurde eine latente Neigung zu impulsivem Verhalten festgestellt.
The study found a latent tendency toward impulsive behavior.
visible
'sichtbar' and 'latent' form a contrast between openly recognizable and hidden but present. 'sichtbar' is used when you can see something or when something is clearly recognizable. 'latent' means that something is present, but not yet openly visible, active, or developed. This often fits problems, feelings, illnesses, or tensions. A conflict can be latent as long as no one speaks openly about it. As soon as it becomes clearly recognizable, it is visible.
Zwischen den Nachbarn gab es schon lange einen latenten Konflikt.
There had long been a latent conflict between the neighbors.
Nach dem Streit war die Spannung im Team deutlich sichtbar.
After the argument, the tension in the team was clearly visible.