Latency Definition In computing, "latency" describes some type of delay. It typically refers to delays in transmitting or processing data, which can be caused by a wide variety of reasons. Two examples of latency are network latency and disk latency, which are explained below. 1. Network latency Network latency describes a delay that takes place during communication over a network (including the Internet). For example, a slow router may cause a delay of a few milliseconds when one sys...