as in possible
existing only as a possibility and not in fact
I can see a few potential problems with co-owning a beach house with another couple
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in possibility
something that can develop or become actual
a time when cloning was merely a potential and the stuff of science fiction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of potential
Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
The breakthrough marks a major step toward next-generation smart glasses and micro-displays, with potential impact across consumer electronics and medical devices.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Jim Nowlan, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
There is the potential for original content placement on Ramsay’s food-content platform Bite and in vertical videos on Holywater.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potential
Adjective
In the demonstration, however, there are dissipative forces, and so the rolling object really will fall deeper and deeper into this potential well.
—Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
The breakthrough marks a major step toward next-generation smart glasses and micro-displays, with potential impact across consumer electronics and medical devices.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
After World War II, Argentina was thought to have great potential to become one of the world’s leading, wealthy nations.
—Jim Nowlan, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
There is the potential for original content placement on Ramsay’s food-content platform Bite and in vertical videos on Holywater.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potential
Adjective
-
Having initially faced 20 years in jail, the additional indictments raised his possible jail term to 45 years, with a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Each restaurant in Jefferson County is scored out of a possible 100 points.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
By refusing to specify details of the case, the government keeps the possibility alive of changing their reasoning or their claims to have the same effect for different reasons—just as the mob changes its reasoning for killing Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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Since Olympic charter flights to Milan will be departing from the New York area, and because the Islanders had been promised an event in February 2026, the possibility of doing a big press availability was discussed as an alternative.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While workers are hand-wringing at the prospect of an algorithm taking their job, bosses are reassuring workers that AI is just like any other technological revolution.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
-
With the idea of building a bomb in the imminent future rejected by the academic community, the Soviet government had little incentive to dedicate funds and resources to the project as the prospect of conventional war loomed closer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Potential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potential. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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