potentially

adverb

po·​ten·​tial·​ly pə-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)lē How to pronounce potentially (audio)
: in a potential or possible state or condition
used to describe the possible results or effects of something
a potentially dangerous situation [=a situation that has the potential to be or become dangerous]
a potentially useful feature
By creating a personal home page, anyone can publish material that potentially can be read by millions of people worldwide.Peter H. Lewis
The phenomenon seemed significant for both the science of immunology and, potentially, for medicine.Daniel J. Kevles
Potentially adding to the cost of the bail-out is the prevailing FDIC notion that some banks are simply too big to fail.L. J. Davis
The result, they say, is that children are less compelled to play outside, potentially stunting emotional and physical development and exacerbating a nationwide epidemic of childhood obesity.Sumathi Reddy

Examples of potentially in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Now they're forced to recalculate total trip costs, potentially discovering Southwest is no longer the cheapest option when fees are included. Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025 Chiuri’s departure has been rumored for months, with every show since January being billed as potentially her last. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 29 May 2025 Stellantis could potentially continue work on the SmartCockpit with another operating system as its base, such as Google’s Android platform, people familiar with the matter said. Nora Eckert, USA Today, 29 May 2025 France is considering such a move and has encouraged Britain to act in concert with it, potentially at a summit meeting in June. Mark Landler, New York Times, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for potentially

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of potentially was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Potentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potentially. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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