Meaning of potential in English

potential

adjective [ before noun ]

/pəˈten.ʃəl/ us

/poʊˈten.ʃəl/

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possible when the necessary conditions exist:

A number of potential buyers have expressed interest in the company.

Many potential customers are waiting for a fall in prices before buying.

The accident is a grim reminder of the potential dangers involved in North Sea oil production.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

that might or might not happen

possibleI suppose it's possible that she just forgot my birthday, but it's unlikely.
potentialShe is being mentioned as a potential successor to the leader.
imaginableThe pens came in every colour imaginable.
conceivableIt is conceivable that they'll agree to our terms, but I wouldn't bet on it.
thinkableThe existence of something like the internet would not have even been thinkable in Einstein's day.

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More examplesFewer examples

Of course we don't want to alarm people unnecessarily, but they should be alerted to potential dangers.
They went into the restaurant and handed out leaflets to potential customers.
We estimate the potential market for the new phones to be around one million people in this country alone.
We shall pilot several new cosmetic products to selected potential purchasers.
The potential benefits outweigh the problems.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Potential

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potential

noun [ U ]

/pəˈten.ʃəl/ us

/poʊˈten.ʃəl/

potential noun [U] (ABILITY)

someone's or something's ability to develop, achieve, or succeed:

The region has enormous potential for economic development.

I don't feel I'm achieving my full potential in my present job.

[ + to infinitive ] You have the potential to reach the top of your profession.

I think this room has got a lot of potential (= could be very nice if some changes were made to it).

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The school is based on the fundamental principle that each child should develop its full potential.
The house looks a bit of a mess now, but it's got real potential.
That child shows great potential - he's a talented musician.
We need to find new ways to help students realize their potential.
The aim is to maximize the potential for financial growth.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Potential

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potential noun [U] (IN PHYSICS)

physics specialized

the amount of electricity passing through an electric circuit, measured in volts

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Electricity & electronics

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(Definition of potential from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

potential | American Dictionary

potential

adjective [ not gradable ]

/pəˈten·tʃəl/

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possible but not yet achieved:

He was eager to talk with potential customers.

potentially

adverb [ not gradable ] us

/pəˈten·tʃə·li/

Potentially dangerous products are often recalled by their manufacturers.

potential

noun [ U ]

/pəˈten·tʃəl/

Someone’s potential is an ability the person has not yet developed:

She keeps saying I should live up to my potential.

physics

Potential energy is the energy that something has because of its position and structure, not because of its movement.

physics

Electric potential is a measure of the power of electrical energy, measured in volts.

(Definition of potential from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

potential | Business English

potential

adjective [ before noun ]

/pəˈtenʃəl/ us

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able to develop into something in the future when the necessary conditions exist:

There are potential problems at every stage of the drug production chain.

A number of potential buyers are thought to have shown interest.

a potential cost/market

potential

noun [ U ]

/pəˈtenʃəl/ us

the possibility of something developing or happening in a particular way:

have the potential for sth/to do sth These equity securities are believed to have the potential for high earnings growth.

commercial/economic potential

growth/market/sales potential

natural qualities or abilities that mean that someone or something may or should succeed or achieve something:

enormous/great/huge potential This marketing idea has great potential.

We have put additional resources into the company to ensure it reaches its full potential in Scotland.

have the potential to be sth He has the potential to be the very best.

(Definition of potential from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of potential

potential

The value of this volume at present is clear in that it permits geoscientists to view the potential of three-dimensional seismic data.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The first, potential for reflection on past events, has a corollary, planning for future events.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, all researchers agree that both elements are required if we are to understand the potential role and limitations of a specific psychological therapy.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, all these systems require strict adherence to maintenance protocols to perform to their full potential.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In approaching their prospects, network marketers enjoy the privilege of exploiting the element of intimacy by reducing the potential threat to their prospects' negative face.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The results show the potential for considerable reductions in blood use.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Electrostatic potential between surfaces bearing ionizable groups in ionic equilibrium with physiologic saline solution.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Suppression of the potential well prevents the free electrons from recombination and, thus, no high-energy photon can be emitted.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

If the mirroring is too accurate, the perception itself can become a source of fear, and it loses its symbolic potential.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The attempts by nationalist activists to use soccer as an organizational and symbolic platform again prove the political potential of soccer.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Based on a potential error message, they might modify a word or a sentence that is not in fact wrong and hence make things worse.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

As choreoathetosis is an exceedingly rare complication of bypass with many potential causes, prospective cohort studies are unlikely to provide sufficient delineation of risk factors.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The developmental literature points to at least 6 levels of empathy emerging in succession, each expanding and adding to the repertoire of empathic potential.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This suggests that programs should be targeted to areas with this type of potential.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Further, those sounds that were excluded from a child's phonemic inventory formed the pool of potential targets to be considered for treatment.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with potential

potential

These are words often used in combination with potential.

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academic potential

The test was designed to focus on cognitive ability rather than linguistic knowledge to ensure that the effect of poor language skills is minimized when assessing students' academic potential.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

agricultural potential

This requires significant information on local markets and opportunities and is more likely to be successful in areas with higher agricultural potential.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

commercial potential

The bearded strangers quickly saw the commercial potential of such a malleable material.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all collocations with potential

What is the pronunciation of potential?

Translations of potential

in Chinese (Traditional)

潛在的，可能的, 潛力，潛能, 電勢（電路中通過的電量，以伏特為單位）…

Meaning of potential in English

potential noun [U] (ABILITY)

potential noun [U] (IN PHYSICS)

potential | American Dictionary

potentially

potential | Business English

Examples of potential

Collocations with potential

potential

Translations of potential

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