potentially

adverb

po·​ten·​tial·​ly pə-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)lē 

: in a potential or possible state or condition

—used to describe the possible results or effects of something

a potentially dangerous situation [=a situation that has the potential to be or become dangerous]

a potentially useful feature

By creating a personal home page, anyone can publish material that potentially can be read by millions of people worldwide.

—Peter H. Lewis

The phenomenon seemed significant for both the science of immunology and, potentially, for medicine.

—Daniel J. Kevles

Potentially adding to the cost of the bail-out is the prevailing FDIC notion that some banks are simply too big to fail.

—L. J. Davis

The result, they say, is that children are less compelled to play outside, potentially stunting emotional and physical development and exacerbating a nationwide epidemic of childhood obesity.

—Sumathi Reddy

Examples of potentially in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As The Athletic reported earlier this month, the Padres prefer to spend the majority of their remaining budget on free-agent starting pitching, potentially in the range of $8 million to $12 million in average annual value. —Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026

South Florida’s agricultural community is bracing for potentially freezing cold temperatures that could cripple their crops. —Steve Maugeri, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026

Here are some of the extras my medical team recommended that brought me relief and potentially increased my chances of having my son. —Angela Hatem, Parents, 1 Feb. 2026

June 21 – July 22 Your financial situation potentially could use an additional check-in today. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for potentially

• essentially
• confidentially
• exponentially
• inferentially
• experientially