Question

Choose the option which best expresses the meaning of the given word.
LATENT
(A) Prompt
(B) Lethargic
(C) Apparent
(D) Concealed

Answer 1

Hint:The word that closely resembles a given word is called its synonym. There are different perspectives of using a word which one should keep in mind before applying it in any passage or speech. The meaning of the word ‘latent’ is basically something which is hidden or not visible.

Complete answer:
1. As we already know, ‘latent’ means something which is hidden or lying beneath something. For example: In chemistry, we use the word ‘latent’ in describing the heat which is hidden during the process of condensation or evaporation. Now let us have a look on the words given in the options and see which has the closest resemblance with the given word.
2. The word ‘prompt’ has several meanings, such as to help someone with dialogues in theatre or to do something immediately without any delay. For example: “She would have died but the policeman’s prompt action saved her.”
3. The word ‘lethargic’ means ‘lack of energy’ or ‘lack of enthusiasm’. It is an adjective derived from the abstract noun ‘lethargy’. We can use this word in a sentence like: “After returning from their trekking trip, the boys were in a lethargic situation.”
4. The word ‘apparent’ means which is completely visible or understood. For an example: “The mistake of the artist was apparent to everyone in the audience.”
5. The meaning of the word ‘concealed’ is something to keep a secret or basically to hide something. Like for an instance we can say that in related make-up terminologies, the word ‘concealing’ means to hide the blemishes and chubbiness of the face in order to give it a definite dimension.
6. Hence, we can deduct from our explanation as iterated above that the meanings of the words ‘latent’ and ‘concealed’ are alike in some respect. Therefore, we can say that the word ‘concealed’ best expresses the meaning of the word ‘latent’.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘D’.

Note: It is understood that the words ‘concealed’ and ‘latent’, both have similar kind of meaning. However, one has to be very careful while replacing one word with the other as they are generally used in different perspectives. For example, we cannot use the word ‘latent’ to explain the act of hiding the blemishes of the face as we discussed above. Similarly, we cannot use the word ‘concealed’ while explaining the heat which is hidden during the process of evaporation or condensation. But, in the sense of their internal meaning, they have the resemblance with each other.