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

For traders focused on events, analyzing past stock performance surrounding earnings announcements can yield valuable insights and potentially improve trading strategies. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025

This could reverberate into next year’s midterm election and beyond, potentially shaping the second half of Trump’s term. —Philip Elliott, Time, 15 July 2025

Note that lemons can absorb some of the water over time, potentially diluting their flavor. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 July 2025

At the same time, prolonged trade tensions could slow growth, potentially forcing the Fed to act to prevent job losses. —Amanda Castro hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for potentially

• essentially
• confidentially
• exponentially
• inferentially
• experientially