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

Potentially more important to Salesforce than the value of its stake is the relationship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Potentially exceeding the UK's current highest temperature of the year so far of 19.2C - set in London earlier in March.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Potentially someone who watched the dress rehearsal of the show just a few hours earlier.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Potentially adding to the problem could be an effort by companies to pass through increases in their own costs from U.S. tariffs onto their customers.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026

Potentially she was the most powerful of the associated nations, and only the existence of the British fleet brought any rival up to anything like equality.

From A Short History of the Great War by Pollard, A. F. (Albert Frederick)

Related Words

• likely
• possibly
• probably