potential

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to).

   “Even from a young age it was clear that she had the potential to become a great musician.”

   “Comrades, our own fleet doesn't know our full potential. They will do everything possible to test us, but they will only test their own embarrassment.”

   “With some technical improvement, I could see how the process of imitating my work would soon become fast and streamlined, and the many dark potentials bubbled to the forefront of my mind.”

2. (countable, uncountable)The gravitational potential: the radial (irrotational, static) component of a gravitational field, also known as the Newtonian potential or the gravitoelectric field.
3. (countable, uncountable)The work (energy) required to move a reference particle from a reference location to a specified location in the presence of a force field, for example to bring a unit positive electric charge from an infinite distance to a specified point against an electric field.
4. (countable, uncountable)A verbal construction or form stating something is possible or probable.

adj

1. (not-comparable)Existing in possibility, not in actuality.

   “The heroic man,—and is not every man, God be thanked, a potential hero?—has to do so, in all times and circumstances.”

2. (archaic, not-comparable)Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result

   “And hath, in his effect, a voice potential”

3. (not-comparable)irrotational

   “From Maxwell equations (6.20) it follows that the electric field is potential: E(r) = −gradφ(r).”

4. (not-comparable)irrotational (see potential flow on Wikipedia)

   “The non-viscous flow of the vacuum should be potential (irrotational).”

5. (not-comparable)Referring to a verbal construction of form stating something is possible or probable.