1.1often potential for/to do somethingThe possibility of something happening or of someone doing something in the future.
‘pesticides with the potential to cause cancer’
‘the crane operator's clear view reduces the potential for accidents’
‘They were of course unaware of the latent potential for economic growth just around the corner.’
‘It has experienced strong growth in the past three years and has good potential for future growth.’
‘More to the point still, is this potential to anger particularly strong in the media?’
‘Modern medicine raises the stakes as its power to do good is accompanied by increasing potential for harm.’
‘The potential for future conflicts is horrific, and will remain so while capitalism survives.’
‘The trials in February are to identify those riders who have potential to compete in the Paralympics.’
‘He also said the county had huge potential to develop and expand in rural areas.’
‘The site had previously been listed in the town's Local Plan as having potential for development.’
‘There is a ruined former railway cottage on the property with potential for further development.’
‘It will spend the next few years developing the area's potential for exploration.’
‘They have potential for greatness, but they need to let go, let it happen.’
‘Inevitably the campaigners have now turned their sights to potential for suing drinks companies.’
‘It was as a viable project with potential for economic regeneration and ecological improvements.’
‘Rural pubs have great potential to assume a business and community role.’
‘There is so much potential for this to be one of Bradford's most attractive shopping thoroughfares.’
‘It struck them both there was potential to offer a service commercially.’
‘While I am in favor of this technology, it possesses a hell of a lot of potential for abuse.’
2Physics The quantity determining the energy of mass in a gravitational field or of charge in an electric field.
‘a change in gravitational potential’
‘measurements of induced electrical potentials’
‘The normal conduction of action potentials is reliant upon sodium channels.’
‘Electrical action potentials, osmotic perturbations or chemical signals may trigger these waves.’
‘Various measurable bits in the universe have vastly different potentials to have a causal impact.’
‘A problem with evoked potentials is that their amplitude is exceedingly small.’
‘This is well established by studies on electro-osmosis and streaming potentials.’
Origin
Late Middle English from late Latin potentialis, from potentia ‘power’, from potent- ‘being able’ (see potent). The noun dates from the early 19th century.
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