latency

American  

[leyt-n-see] / ˈleɪt n si /

noun

plural

latencies

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.

---

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

When it comes to running AI models, delays, known as latency, and energy consumption are tied to moving data in and out of memory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

When it comes to speed and latency, Surfshark and NordVPN both deliver strong performance across global regions.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Nvidia’s NVLink scale-up technology connects multiple chips to work as one chip, therefore enabling higher bandwidth and lower latency.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 15, 2026

Morgan Stanley agreed, arguing that cybersecurity tools need to have zero latency and near-100% accuracy—two features AI tools still lack.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

So does what is known as latency, the period of time that lapses between the moment one speaker stops talking and the moment the other speaker begins.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell