Adjacent Words

Potential definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

POTEN'TIAL, a. [L. potentialis.] Having power to impress on us the ideas of certain qualities, though the qualities are not inherent in the thing; as potential heat or cold.
1. Existing in possibility, not in act.
This potential and imaginary materia prima, cannot exist without form.
2. Efficacious; powerful. [Not in use.]
Potential cautery, in medicine, is the consuming or reducing to an eschar, any part of the body by a caustic alkaline or metallic salt, etc. instead of a red hot iron, the use of which is called actual cautery.
Potential mode, in grammar, is that form of the verb which is used to express the power, possibility, liberty or necessity of an action or of being; as, I may go; he can write. This, in English, is not strictly a distinct mode, but the indicative or declarative mode, affirming the power to act, instead of the act itself. I may go or can go, are equivalent to, I have power to go.
POTEN'TIAL, n. Any thing that may be possible.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: existing in possibility; "a potential problem"; "possible uses of nuclear power" [syn: potential, possible] [ant: actual, existent]
2: expected to become or be; in prospect; "potential clients" [syn: likely, potential] n
1: the inherent capacity for coming into being [syn: potential, potentiality, potency]
2: the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts [syn: electric potential, potential, potential difference, potential drop, voltage]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English potencial, from Late Latin potentialis, from potentia potentiality, from Latin, power, from potent-, potens Date: 14th century 1. existing in possibility ; capable of development into actuality <potential benefits> 2. expressing possibility; specifically of, relating to, or constituting a verb phrase expressing possibility, liberty, or power by the use of an auxiliary with the infinitive of the verb (as in “it may rain”) Synonyms: see latent • potentially adverb II. noun Date: 1817 1. a. something that can develop or become actual <a potential for violence> b. promise 2 2. a. any of various functions from which the intensity or the velocity at any point in a field may be readily calculated b. the work required to move a unit positive charge from a reference point (as at infinity) to a point in question c. potential difference

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. capable of coming into being or action; latent. --n. 1 the capacity for use or development; possibility (achieved its highest potential). 2 usable resources. 3 Physics the quantity determining the energy of mass in a gravitational field or of charge in an electric field. Phrases and idioms: potential barrier a region of high potential impeding the movement of particles etc. potential difference the difference of electric potential between two points. potential energy a body's ability to do work by virtue of its position relative to others, stresses within itself, electric charge, etc. Derivatives: potentiality n. potentialize v.tr. (also -ise). potentially adv. Etymology: ME f. OF potencial or LL potentialis f. potentia (as POTENT(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Potential Po*ten"tial, n. 1. Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially. --Bacon. 2. (Math.) In the theory of gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such that its differential coefficients with respect to the co["o]rdinates are equal to the components of the force at the point considered; -- also called potential function, or force function. It is called also Newtonian potential when the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of the distance from the center. 3. (Elec.) The energy of an electrical charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth; electro-motive force.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Potential Po*ten"tial, a. [Cf. F. potentiel. See Potency.] 1. Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential. [Obs.] ``And hath in his effect a voice potential.'' --Shak. 2. Existing in possibility, not in actuality. ``A potential hero.'' --Carlyle. Potential existence means merely that the thing may be at ome time; actual existence, that it now is. --Sir W. Hamilton. Potential cautery. See under Cautery. Potential energy. (Mech.) See the Note under Energy. Potential mood, or mode (Gram.), that form of the verb which is used to express possibility, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the use of may, can, must, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go; he can write.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. You use potential to say that someone or something is capable of developing into the particular kind of person or thing mentioned. The firm has identified 60 potential customers at home and abroad... We are aware of the potential problems and have taken every precaution. = possible ADJ: ADJ n • potentially Clearly this is a potentially dangerous situation... ADV: ADV with cl/group 2. If you say that someone or something has potential, you mean that they have the necessary abilities or qualities to become successful or useful in the future. The school strives to treat pupils as individuals and to help each one to achieve their full potential... Denmark recognised the potential of wind energy early. N-UNCOUNT: also N in pl 3. If you say that someone or something has potential for doing a particular thing, you mean that it is possible they may do it. If there is the potential for something, it may happen. John seemed as horrified as I about his potential for violence... The meeting has the potential to be a watershed event... N-UNCOUNT: also N in pl, with supp, oft N for n/-ing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Possible, in posse.

Moby Thesaurus

EMF, ability, aptitude, bare possibility, between the lines, budding, bump, caliber, capability, capacity, chance, cogitable, concealed, conceivability, conceivable, conceivableness, conceivably possible, conditional, contingency, contingent, covert, cryptic, delitescent, developing, dormant, dower, dowry, electric potential, electromotive force, electromotivity, embryonic, endowment, equipment, esoteric, even chance, eventuality, faculty, flair, forte, future, genius, gift, good chance, good possibility, hibernating, hidden, hope, humanly possible, imaginable, imminent, imperative, implicit, implied, indicative, instinct, jussive, latent, likelihood, likely, long suit, lurking, makings, metier, mode, mood, muffled, mystic, natural endowment, natural gift, obfuscated, obligative, obscured, occult, off chance, optative, outside chance, outside hope, parts, passive, permissive, plausible, possibilities, possibility, possible, possibleness, potency, potential difference, potentiality, power, powers, probability, probable, prospect, qualification, quiescent, remote possibility, sleeping, small hope, speciality, strong flair, strong point, subjunctive, submerged, talent, talents, the attainable, the feasible, the goods, the possible, the stuff, thinkability, thinkable, thinkableness, under the surface, underlying, undeveloped, unmanifested, unrealized, veiled, virtual, virtuality, volt, voltage, what is possible, what it takes, what may be, what might be