potentially

American  

[puh-ten-shuh-lee] / pəˈtɛn ʃə li /

adverb

1. possibly but not yet actually.

   potentially useful information.

---

Etymology

Origin of potentially

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

---

Explanation

Use the adverb potentially to describe something that could happen or might be true. Your backyard leaf burning project, for example, is potentially dangerous. When there's a possibility of something occurring or becoming reality, use the word potentially. All babies are potentially geniuses, and you might optimistically watch new TV comedies every fall in the belief that they're potentially funny. In other words, babies might turn out to be brilliant, and TV shows have the possibility of making you laugh out loud. The root word here is potential, from the Latin potentia, "power, might or force."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

potentially

Other physical processes could potentially produce similar effects.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

The three will potentially meet at a summit in China later this month.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

South Korea’s headline inflation remained above the central bank’s 2% target in October, although it eased from the previous month, potentially reinforcing the case for further monetary policy tightening.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

And while that makes them easier to control remotely, in theory, any device which goes online can potentially be exploited by malicious actors.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

The host, a Frenchwoman, glanced at her American husband, a slyly pleased smile on her face; the most unforgettable dinner parties happened when guests said unexpected, and potentially offensive, things.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• likely
• possibly
• probably

---