potentially

American  

[puh-ten-shuh-lee] / pəˈtɛn ʃə li /

adverb

1. possibly but not yet actually.

   potentially useful information.

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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

China is "steadily" building operational experience for "sustained occupation" of its Tiangong space station, and year-long missions are an important step towards future lunar and potentially deep-space ambitions, de Grijs told AFP.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

While no price range was included in the preliminary prospectus, the Wall Street Journal reported that the IPO could raise at least $80 billion and potentially value SpaceX at more than $1.5 trillion.

From MarketWatch • May 24, 2026

Wireless networks are now common in homes, offices, restaurants, airports, and public spaces across the world, giving this technology potentially enormous reach.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

"I can't see anything other than an easy win for Usyk - by potentially a mid-to-late stoppage."

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Regan had insisted that we make our move tonight, arguing that the longer we waited, the more we could potentially mess up the future.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• likely
• possibly
• probably