potentially

adverb

po·​ten·​tial·​ly pə-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)lē 

: 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

Worrying test results The development came as Consumer Reports shared results on Tuesday of tests by the group that found found potentially harmful chemicals in roughly half of 41 infant formula products, including acrylamide, arsenic, BPA, lead and PFAS. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2025

Key Takeaways Parents should aim to transition toddlers from their crib to a toddler bed before their child can climb out of the crib and potentially hurt themselves. —Laura Broadwell, Parents, 18 Mar. 2025

Consult With Legacy Employees Before sharing the idea, study the group’s and the company’s structure to assess whether your idea is different and potentially adds value. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

At that level, data-center energy use would potentially account for between 6 and 12 percent of total U.S. energy consumption, up from 4 percent in 2023. —The Editors, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for potentially

• essentially
• confidentially
• exponentially
• inferentially
• experientially