as in possibility
something that can develop or become actual
would like to see a colony on the moon as an actuality and not merely a potentiality
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Recent Examples of potentiality
On foot, there are no boundaries in the land, no divides, nothing but the past and the potentiality of the future.
—
Michael McColly, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Each of these sentiments points to the rich, fertile space that exists at the margins—of the body, of language, of the photograph—while also emphasizing the creative potentialities of touch, the action that propels these often porous edges to meet.
—Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
The time lapses don’t connect these scenes narratively so much as suggest the potentialities of a constantly warping persona.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 May 2025
In a striking parallel to the 1990s, epochal thinking about the potentialities of a high technology society has once again upended politics.
—Jacob Bruggeman & Casey Eilbert / Made By History, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potentiality
Michael McColly, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Each of these sentiments points to the rich, fertile space that exists at the margins—of the body, of language, of the photograph—while also emphasizing the creative potentialities of touch, the action that propels these often porous edges to meet.
—Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
The time lapses don’t connect these scenes narratively so much as suggest the potentialities of a constantly warping persona.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 May 2025
In a striking parallel to the 1990s, epochal thinking about the potentialities of a high technology society has once again upended politics.
—Jacob Bruggeman & Casey Eilbert / Made By History, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potentiality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentiality
Noun
-
But with casualties rising and Trump acknowledging the possibility of a lengthy campaign, the question confronting his coalition is no longer theoretical.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Hite rarely entertained the possibility that people might be answering her questionnaire on a particularly bad day, or that anonymity might encourage exaggeration.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some will point to poor television ratings as a sign of trouble, while others can point to crowds drawn this season in Brooklyn and Philadelphia as signs of potential for Unrivaled.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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His trip comes after a February visit by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, which was focused on the country's oil potential.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potentiality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentiality. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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