potentially
Americanadverb
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."
Vocabulary lists containing potentially
Bob
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The Man Who to the Far Side of the Moon and "Mayday on Moon of Jupiter"
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Storm Runners
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So we potentially have three trends colliding at once: Aging, plus GLP-1 weight loss, plus a growing willingness to spend on aesthetics.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026
The number of potentially displaced people would change markedly if the size of the actual security perimeters is smaller or bigger.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The vehicle’s novel design potentially puts it in conflict with federal safety standards, which were developed for traditional motor vehicles by and large several decades ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
IL-4 and C1q were particularly effective at drawing potentially helpful immune cells into the injured region.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Detective Lewind growled at her for letting the kid leave with potentially explosive evidence of espionage.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
