potential: Meaning and Definition of
po•ten•tial
Pronunciation: (pu-ten'shul), [key]
— adj.
- possible, as opposed to actual: the potential uses of nuclear energy.
- capable of being or becoming: a potential danger to safety.
- expressing possibility:can in I can go. the potential subjunctive in Latin; the potential use of
- potent.
—n.
- possibility; potentiality: an investment that has little growth potential.
- a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed.
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- a potential aspect, mood, construction, case, etc.
- a form in the potential.
- See(def. 1).
- a type of function from which the intensity of a field may be derived, usually by differentiation.
- someone or something that is considered a worthwhile possibility: The list of job applications has been narrowed to half a dozen potentials.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.