potentially
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
used to say that something might happen or be true in the future.
indicates a possibility that a particular situation will happen or a quality will emerge.
Simple“The new law could potentially affect thousands of small businesses.”
In context“While the initial results are promising, researchers warn that the treatment could potentially cause side effects in a small percentage of patients.”
UsageTypically placed before the adjective or verb it modifies to indicate future possibility.
Antonyms
Usage potentially dangerous · potentially devastating · potentially help
“The account history of these profiles, coupled with their posts and followers, indicated that most were being run from Morocco while a few were potentially based in Spain or Italy.”
“Lake Mead’s water levels are down by two-thirds, potentially impacting supplies of water and energy for millions across the western United States.”
From potential + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.