potential

B1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /po(ʊ)ˈtɛnʃəl/ UK /pəˈtɛnʃəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #2723

Meanings

1

noun
A natural ability or quality that could develop in the future.

Even as a child, she had the potential to become a great musician.
2

adj
Possible but not yet actual; capable of happening.

The plan has a few potential problems we should discuss.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · possible but not yet... possible likely

More noumenon spirit

Opposites

matter phenomenon

Word family

Forms potentials

Derived forms bipotentialequipotentialimmunopotentialinterpotentialisopotentialnonpotentialoligopotentialomnipotentialpotentialismpotentialistpotentializepotentially

Related forms potence potency potent potentate potentiality

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

potential client
a person or company who may become a client in the future

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Potential entered English in the late Middle Ages. It comes from Latin potentia, “power,” which was formed from Latin posse, “to be able.”

Etymology

From Late Latin potentialis, from Latin potentia (“power”), from potens (“powerful”). By surface analysis, potent + -ial.

*h₁es- Proto-Indo-European potentialis la-lat potentia Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# potential

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /po(ʊ)ˈtɛnʃəl/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈtɛnʃəl/
**Frequency rank:** 2723

## Meanings
1. A natural ability or quality that could develop in the future.
2. Possible but not yet actual; capable of happening.

## Examples
- Even as a child, she had the potential to become a great musician.
- The plan has a few potential problems we should discuss.

## Synonyms
- noumenon
- spirit

## Antonyms
- matter
- phenomenon

## Derived Forms
- bipotential
- equipotential
- immunopotential
- interpotential
- isopotential
- nonpotential
- oligopotential
- omnipotential
- potentialism
- potentialist
- potentialize
- potentially

## Related Forms
- potence
- potency
- potent
- potentate
- potentiality

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₁es-
- Root: potentialis
- Root: potentia

## Etymology
From Late Latin potentialis, from Latin potentia (“power”), from potens (“powerful”). By surface analysis, potent + -ial.

## AI Etymology
Potential comes from Late Latin potentialis, from Latin potentia (“power”), from potens (“powerful”). By surface analysis, potent + -ial. The historical chain includes *h₁es- (Proto-Indo-European), potentialis (la-lat), potentia (Latin). In present-day English it covers a natural ability or quality that could develop in the future and possible but not yet actual; capable of happening. The wider family includes derived forms such as bipotential, equipotential, immunopotential, interpotential, isopotential and related forms such as potence, potency, potent, potentate.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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