Definitions of potential [əˈtɛn ʃəl]

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Definition of 'potential'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (adj.) potential
possible, as opposed to actual:
the potential uses of nuclear energy.

2.  potential
capable of being or becoming:
a potential danger.

3.  potential
(esp. of a verb phrase, verb form, or mood) expressing possibility, as by using the auxiliaries can or
may.

4.  potential
Archaic.

5. (n.) potential
possibility; potentiality:
an investment that has little growth potential.

6.  potential
a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed.

7.  potential
a scalar quantity equal to the work done in moving a body from a standard reference point to a given point in a field of force.

8.  potential
a scalar quantity equal, at a given point in an electric field, to the work done in moving a unit charge to an infinite distance from the field's origin.

Etymology: (1350–1400; ME potencial (< OF) < LL potentiālis. See potency , -al¹)

Definition of 'potential'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) potential, potentiality, potency
the inherent capacity for coming into being

2. (adj) electric potential, potential, potential difference, potential drop, voltage
the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts

3. (adj) potential, possible
existing in possibility
"a potential problem"; "possible uses of nuclear power"

4. (adj) likely, potential
expected to become or be; in prospect
"potential clients"

Definition of 'potential'

Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary

1. (noun) potential
the possibility that exists within sb or sth to develop into sth
He has the potential to be a great singer.; a new drug that may have potential as a cure for some cancers; students who have not reached/realized their full potential

2. potential
the possibility of sth happening
the potential for a flu epidemic; the potential for improvement

3. (adjective) potential
having a possibility of happening, being, or doing sth
potential problems with the idea; potential home buyers; a potentially difficult situation

Definition of 'potential'

Webster Dictionary

1. (adj) potential
being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential

2. (adj) potential
existing in possibility, not in actuality

3. (noun) potential
anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially

4. (noun) potential
in the theory of gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such that its differential coefficients with respect to the coordinates are equal to the components of the force at the point considered; -- also called potential function, or force function. It is called also Newtonian potential when the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of the distance from the center

5. (noun) potential
the energy of an electrical charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth; electro-motive force

Definition of 'potential'

The Standard Electrical Dictionary

1. potential
Potential in general may be treated as an attribute of a point in space, and may express the potential energy which a unit mass would have if placed at that point.

This conception of potential is that of a property attributable to a point in space, such that if a unit mass were placed there the forces acting upon it would supply the force factor of energy, while the body would supply the mass factor. This property is expressible in units, which produce, if the supposed mass is a unit mass, units of work or energy, but potential itself is neither.

Thus taking gravitation, a pound mass on the surface of the earth (assuming it to be a sphere of 4,000 miles radius) would require the expenditure of 21,120,000 foot pounds to remove it to an infinite distance against gravity. The potential of a point in space upon the surface of the earth is therefore negative and is represented by -21,120,000*32.2 foot poundals (32.2 = acceleration of gravity). (See Poundal.) In practice and conventionally all points on the earth's surface are taken as of zero potential.

[Transcriber's note; 21,120,000 foot pounds is about 8 KWh.]

Translation of 'potential'

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

Sense: possible; that may develop into the thing mentioned That hole in the road is a potential danger.
Afrikaans: potensieel	Arabic: مُمْكِن، مُحْتَمَل، كامِن	Bulgarian: възможен
Brazilian: potencial	Czech: možný	German: potentiell
Danish: mulig; potentiel	Greek: πιθανός, ενδεχόμενος	Spanish: potencial
Estonian: võimalik	Farsi: بالقوه	Finnish: mahdollinen
French: en puissance	Hebrew: פּוֹטֶנצִיאָל, אֶפשָׁרִי	Hindi: सामर्थ्य
Croatian: moguć, potencijalan	Hungarian: lehetséges, potenciális	Indonesian: potensial
Icelandic: mögulegur	Italian: potenziale	Japanese: 可能な
Korean: 잠재적인	Lithuanian: galimas, potencialus	Latvian: potenciāls; iespējams
Malay: berpotensi	Dutch: potentieel	Norwegian: eventuell; potensiell, mu
Polish: potencjalny	Persian: پوتانسيل	Pashto: پوتانسيل
Portuguese: potencial	Romanian: potenţial	Russian: потенциальный, возможный
Slovak: možný	Slovenian: možen, potencialen	Serbian: potencijalni
Swedish: potentiell, möjlig	Thai: ที่อาจเกิดขึ้นได้	Turkish: potansiyel, olası
Taiwanese: 潛在的	Ukrainian: потенційний; можливий	Urdu: زبردست
Vietnamese: tiềm năng	Chinese: 潜在的
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