potential

American  

[puh-ten-shuhl] / pəˈtɛn ʃəl /

adjective

1. possible, as opposed to actual.

   the potential uses of nuclear energy.

2. capable of being or becoming.

   a potential danger to safety.

3. Grammar. expressing possibility.

   the potential subjunctive in Latin; the potential use of can in I can go.

4. Archaic. potent.

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noun

1. possibility; potentiality.

   an investment that has little growth potential.

   Synonyms:

   potency, capacity

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

3. Grammar.

   1. a potential aspect, mood, construction, case, etc.

   2. a form in the potential.

4. Electricity. electric potential.

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

6. someone or something that is considered a worthwhile possibility.

   The list of job applications has been narrowed to half a dozen potentials.

potential British  

/ pəˈtɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. 1. possible but not yet actual

   2. (prenominal) capable of being or becoming but not yet in existence; latent

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

3. an archaic word for potent 1

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noun

1. latent but unrealized ability or capacity

   Jones has great potential as a sales manager

2. grammar a potential verb or verb form

3. short for electric potential

Synonym Usage

See latent.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• potentially
  adverb
• nonpotential
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of potential

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English potencial (from Old French ), from Late Latin potentiālis. See potency, -al ¹

Explanation

If you can describe something as possible but not yet actual, choose the adjective potential. Companies try to reach potential customers through advertising. Potential, from the Latin potentia "power," sounds more complicated than it is. It describes something or someone that has the power to become something. A potential success is not yet a success but could be if circumstances are right. When a situation has the potential for disaster, it could turn bad easily. You have potential if you have a natural but undeveloped ability to do something and a building with potential will be really nice once it's fixed up.

Example Sentences

It couldn’t be learned whether Brooks would allow his music to stream broadly in the event of a sale, likely something potential investors would want.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

When officers returned to his property they found he had a "football-themed bar" at the rear of the property where potential customers could see the illegal streaming for themselves.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Marvell’s shares rose almost 33% on Tuesday after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the $250 billion company had trillion-dollar potential.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

In a statement, Scorsese emphasized the potential for AI to transform the storyboarding process.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

“A great many costumes went into this one costume,” she thought, pleased with both her disguise and the potential math lesson, but there was no time to solve the costume/costumes problem just now.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• ability
• capability
• capacity
• potentiality
• power