potentially

[puh-ten-shuh-lee]

adverb

1. possibly but not yet actually.

   potentially useful information.

Word History and Origins

Origin of potentially¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; potential + -ly

Example Sentences

China gaining control of the technology would potentially let it catch up in the AI race and upend the world order, experts said.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Aviation industry officials credit automation with steady improvements in safety, including new cockpit features that have reduced pilots’ workloads and helped them avoid potentially catastrophic slip-ups.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

He called it, “a big, big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the great days ever in civilization.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Democrats hope a federal court judge will rule in their favor and block the current deployment of hundreds of National Guard members, potentially lowering the political temperature in the Chicago area.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Acoba said Anthropic "has a significant interest in UK government policy", meaning that Sunak's appointment could potentially be seen to offer "unfair access and influence" within government.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• likely 
• possibly 
• probably