latency

American  

[leyt-n-see] / ˈleɪt n si /

noun

latencies plural

1. the state of being latent.

2. latent period.

3. Computers. the period of delay when one component of a hardware system is waiting for an action to be executed by another component.

4. Digital Technology. the time required online or in a network for the one-way or round-trip transfer of data between two nodes.

5. Digital Technology. (in virtual reality and other types of simulation) the discrepancy between the time delay of stimulus and response in the simulation as compared to the real-world equivalent.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• latencies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of latency

First recorded in 1630–40; lat(ent) + -ency

Explanation

Latency is a noun referring to something inactive, dormant, or lying in wait. It’s the state of not being visibly active yet — like when you're hiding out and waiting to jump up and yell "Surprise!" Perhaps a little late, perhaps right on time, latency will wake up from its nap eventually. For a characteristic or skill to be in a period of latency, it does have to exist. So you should only use latency to describe your pitching ability if there is a fastball in you somewhere – otherwise, just admit you can’t pitch. If you’re in the lab, latency is also used to describe the period between a stimulus and a response.

Example Sentences

The speed with which that data moves between processors and memory chips governs the latency, or response time, for a query.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

It’s a bottleneck in the sense that AI increasingly requires data to move at far higher speeds with lower latency, driving a supply shortage for the companies that make these connectivity products.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

The hardware would only need to perform simple addition and subtraction, which would drive energy consumption and latency down even further, according to Hassibi.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

In Australia, Surfshark’s ping times ranged from 229 to 281 ms, while NordVPN’s latency was slightly lower, averaging 210 to 260 ms.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

There is, however, one presently known exception to the fact that a long period of latency is common to most malignancies.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson