potential

[ puh-ten-shuh l ]

/ pəˈtɛn ʃəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR potential ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

possible, as opposed to actual: the potential uses of nuclear energy.

capable of being or becoming: a potential danger to safety.

Grammar. expressing possibility: the potential subjunctive in Latin; the potential use of can in I can go.

Archaic. potent¹.

noun

possibility; potentiality: an investment that has little growth potential.

a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed.

Grammar.

a potential aspect, mood, construction, case, etc.
a form in the potential.

Electricity. electric potential(def 1).

Mathematics, Physics. a type of function from which the intensity of a field may be derived, usually by differentiation.

someone or something that is considered a worthwhile possibility: The list of job applications has been narrowed to half a dozen potentials.

Nearby words

potemkin, grigori aleksandrovich, potence, potency, potent, potentate, potential, potential cautery, potential difference, potential divider, potential energy, potential gradient

Origin of potential

1350–1400; Middle English potencial (< Old French) < Late Latin potentiālis. See potency, -al¹

SYNONYMS FOR potential

2 See latent.

5 capacity, potency.

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Related formsnon·po·ten·tial, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for potential

The eating disorder field remains divided over the potential efficacy of such measures.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Is there any chance the potential 2016 hopeful will stand up to the right and embrace paid sick leave?
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I ask Atefeh and Monir if they see dancing as a form of income in the future, a potential career.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The seedlings of his potential greatness as a leader are sprinkled throughout it.
Mario Cuomo: An OK Governor, but a Far Better Person|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

There was so much beauty, talent, potential, and most importantly, honesty in your work.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This conception is akin to that of potential, except that it is given to us directly by our sense of heat.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3|Various
Page 20, potential printer's error, properly for property, 'but this properly they have'.
Discourse on Floating Bodies|Galileo Galilei
Seven potential events have been postulated for purposes of this review and are discussed in chapter II.
An Assessment of the Consequences and Preparations for a Catastrophic California Earthquake: Findings and Actions Taken|Various
Applied in any other way it becomes a mere formula, and like all formulas a potential source of mischievous confusion.
Theodore Roosevelt|Theodore Roosevelt
Whether these potential qualities ever become real depends upon environment.
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume I. (of IV.)|W. Grant Hague, M.D.

British Dictionary definitions for potential

potential

/ (pəˈtɛnʃəl) /

adjective

possible but not yet actual
(prenominal) capable of being or becoming but not yet in existence; latent

grammar (of a verb or form of a verb) expressing possibility, as English may and might

an archaic word for potent 1

noun

latent but unrealized ability or capacityJones has great potential as a sales manager

grammar a potential verb or verb form

short for electric potential

Derived Formspotentially, adverb

Word Origin for potential

C14: from Old French potencial, from Late Latin potentiālis, from Latin potentia power

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for potential

potential

[ pə-tĕn′shəl ]

adj.

Capable of being but not yet in existence; latent.

n.

The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being.

The work required to bring a unit electric charge, magnetic pole, or mass from an infinitely distant position to a designated point in a static electric, magnetic, or gravitational field, respectively.

The potential energy of a unit charge at any point in an electric circuit measured with respect to a specified reference point in the circuit or to ground; voltage.

potential

adjective

noun

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of potential

Examples from the Web for potential

British Dictionary definitions for potential

potential

adjective

noun

Word Origin for potential

Medicine definitions for potential

potential

adj.

n.