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

Noun Inflected Forms

• 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

“Arm’s core competency lies in latency and efficiency—which aligns well with hyperscaler needs,” Arcuri wrote.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

We measured download and upload speeds, as well as latency across multiple U.S. server locations and over Wi-Fi, LTE and 5G to simulate home and public usage.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

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

That allows for lower latency and higher throughput, Mohan said.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

The controllers monitored everything and were ready to help in any way they could, but the communication latency between Hermes and Earth rendered them powerless to do anything but watch.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir