Potential

//po(ʊ)ˈtɛnʃəl// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Existing in possibility, not in actuality. not-comparable

    "The heroic man,—and is not every man, God be thanked, a potential hero?—has to do so, in all times and circumstances."

  2. 2
    Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result archaic, not-comparable

    "And hath, in his effect, a voice potential"

  3. 3
    irrotational not-comparable

    "From Maxwell equations (6.20) it follows that the electric field is potential: E(r) = −gradφ(r)."

  4. 4
    irrotational (see potential flow on Wikipedia) not-comparable

    "The non-viscous flow of the vacuum should be potential (irrotational)."

  5. 5
    Referring to a verbal construction of form stating something is possible or probable. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    existing in possibility wordnet
  2. 2
    expected to become or be; in prospect wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    A currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to). countable, uncountable

    "Even from a young age it was clear that she had the potential to become a great musician."

  2. 2
    the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts wordnet
  3. 3
    The gravitational potential: the radial (irrotational, static) component of a gravitational field, also known as the Newtonian potential or the gravitoelectric field. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    the inherent capacity for coming into being wordnet
  5. 5
    The work (energy) required to move a reference particle from a reference location to a specified location in the presence of a force field, for example to bring a unit positive electric charge from an infinite distance to a specified point against an electric field. countable, uncountable
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  1. 6
    A verbal construction or form stating something is possible or probable. countable, uncountable

Etymology

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

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

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