Question:easy

Choose the correct synonym out of the four choices given.
Latent

Show Hint

Think of "latent heat" or "latent talent". The quality is already present but nobody can see it working yet.
Updated On: Oct 30, 2026
  • concealed
  • apparent
  • lethargic
  • prompt
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a synonym question. It tests whether we know that "latent" belongs to the family of words about hidden, sleeping or unexpressed qualities rather than the family about speed or energy.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Use the root and a familiar collocation. "Latent" comes from Latin "latere", to lie hidden, and we meet it in everyday phrases like "latent heat", "latent talent" and "latent tuberculosis". In each case the thing is real and present, but nobody can see it working yet. Any option that does not carry "real but unseen" must be rejected.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Take "latent heat" as the anchor. The heat is stored in the substance and does not show up on a thermometer, but it is very much there. That is the whole meaning of the word.
Now check "apparent". Apparent means anyone can see it. That is the reverse of stored and unseen, so it fails.
Check "lethargic". A lethargic worker is awake and visible, just slow. The word describes low energy, not hiddenness, so it fails.
Check "prompt". Prompt means acting at once. It measures response time and has no link with something waiting unseen, so it fails.
Check "concealed". Concealed means kept out of sight. Applied to a talent or an illness, it gives the same picture as latent: present, waiting, not yet displayed. It passes.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The option that keeps the sense of being present yet unseen is "concealed", which is option (A).
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