noun

latency

LAY-ten-see

Latency (noun) means the delay between an action and the response to it, especially the time data takes to travel across a network. Example: “High latency makes the game unplayable even when the download speed is fine.”

noun

computing The delay between an action and the response to it, especially the time data takes to travel across a network.

"High latency makes the game unplayable even when the download speed is fine."

"We moved the servers closer to users to cut latency by half."

The state of existing but not yet being active or visible.

"The virus can remain in latency for decades before symptoms appear."

"Years of latency preceded the sudden public interest in the technology."

How to use latency

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHow long you wait between doing something and seeing it happen.

When to use it

Technical in the network sense; more formal and medical in the dormancy sense.

Memory tip

Lower latency is better. Higher bandwidth is better. Mixing the two up is the most common mistake people make about internet speed.

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Easily confused with

latency vs bandwidth latency vs ping latency vs throughput

Common pairings

low latency high latency network latency latency spike reduce latency

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

High _____ makes the game unplayable even when the download speed is fine.

Etymology

From Latin latere, "to lie hidden", by way of latent.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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delay lag response time round-trip time dormancy quiescence latent state

Related words

waiting tag delay stall lag hinder dormant jug

Rhymes for latency

agency urgency potency decency regency currency tendency clemency leniency frequency emergency residency

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between latency and bandwidth?

Bandwidth is how much data can move per second; latency is how long a single piece of data takes to get there. A satellite link can have huge bandwidth and still feel sluggish because every request takes half a second to arrive.

Is latency the same as ping?

Ping is the everyday name for a measurement of latency, usually the round-trip time in milliseconds reported by the ping tool. Latency is the general concept; ping is one way of measuring it.

What counts as good latency?

For online gaming and video calls, under about 50 milliseconds feels immediate and over 150 becomes noticeable. For ordinary browsing, latency of a couple of hundred milliseconds is barely perceptible.

What is the meaning of latency?

"latency" (noun) means the delay between an action and the response to it, especially the time data takes to travel across a network.

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waiting tag delay stall lag hinder dormant jug