potential

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

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

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 ->

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
- Describing Qualities

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potential

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