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.
When the system spots potentially deadly lice, they are zapped by a laser.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
But he denied Kao’s most significant claim: that Graham and Navatek struck an explicit, potentially illegal deal for contracts.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
With a challenging decision potentially looming, BBC Sport takes a look at how close one of the sport's greats is to leaving the game forever.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
For example, rising ocean temperatures risk fostering potentially deadly algae blooms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
It was not the time to make him mad, not when he was potentially holding the only piece of evidence needed to ruin my entire future.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
