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

Apple’s decision to potentially restrict its AI deployment was blasted by the EU’s competition commissioner Margrethe Vesteger. —Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 18 July 2024

Earlier this month, Dwyane Wade teased potentially starting his own nail polish line. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 July 2024

The soft spot that resulted can make even the simplest bumps potentially deadly. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 17 July 2024

If these films meet expectations, 2024’s overall box office performance could potentially match or exceed 2023’s record-breaking $1.4 billion total. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above