potentially
/pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.39 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.
Example Sentences
- "Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand."
- "Its impending end has rung alarm bells across social media, with a baseline tariff as high as 145% depending on the carrier set to take effect on Chinese imports, potentially more than doubling the cost for all those cheap products deal-hungry Americans scooped up."
- "I freely assert, that the cosmopolite philosopher cannot, for his life, point out one single peaceful influence, which within the last sixty years has operated more potentially upon the whole broad world, taken in one aggregate, than the high and mighty business of whaling."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Italic *potis Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Italic *-ējō Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ēō Proto-Italic *potēō Proto-Italic *potēnts Latin potēns Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin potentia Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin potentialisder. English potential Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English potentially From potential + -ly.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/
- British English: /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more potentially (comparative)
most potentially (superlative)
Derived Forms
equipotentially
potensh