Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Potential |
PotentialAdjective1. Existing in possibility; "a potential problem"; "possible uses of nuclear poser". 2. Expected to become or be; in prospect; "potential clients"; "expected income". Noun1. The inherent capacity for coming into being. 2. The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "potential" was first used: sometime in the late 14th century. (references) |
Etymology: Potential \Po*ten"tial\, adjective. [Compare to French potentiel. See Potency.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Electrical Engineering | A quantity that in an electric field, is analogous to elevation or level in a gravity field and that is measured at any point by the potential energy of a unit positive charge placed at that point and reckored with reference to some arbitrary zero of potential. Source: European Union. (references) |
Aerospace | 1. A function of space, the gradient of which is equal to a force. In Symbols, F = -f, where F is the force; is the del-operator; and f is the potential. A force which may be so expressed is said to be conservative, and the work done against it in motion from one given equipotential surface to another is independent of the path of the motion. See Gibbs function, potential energy. In celestial mechanics and geodesy, the negative of the potential, sometimes called force function, is usually employed. 2. Applied to the value that an atmospheric thermodynamic variable would attain if processed adiabatically from its initial pressure to the standard pressure of 1000 millibars. See potential density, potential temperature.3. Short for electric potential.Symbol f. (references) |
Labor | Personne qui a les capacités requises pour monter en grade. Source: European Union. (references) |
Mining | A. The words potential and voltage are synonymous and mean electrical pressure. The potential of a circuit, machine, or any piece of electrical apparatus means the voltage normally existing between the conductors of such a circuit or the terminals of such a machine or apparatus. In U.S. Bureau of Mines practice: (1) any potential less than 301 V shall be deemed a low potential; (2) any potential greater than 301 V but less than 651 V shall be deemed a medium potential; and (3) any potential in excess of 651 V shall be deemed a high potential. b. Any of several different scalar quantities, each of which involves energy as a function of position or of condition; e.g., the fluidpotential of groundwater e.g., the fluidpotential of groundwater. (references) |
Nuclear Energy & Physics | A possibility worthy of further consideration for Safety. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In biological cells that are electrically "at rest," the cytosol possesses a uniform electric potential or voltage of about - 0.01 V or -100 mV compared to the extracellular solution. This voltage is the resting cell potential, also sometimes called the transmembrane potential of the resting cell. Cells whose voltage is more negative than typical are said to be hyperpolarized, and those more positive are said to be depolarized. Healthy cells do not naturally hyperpolarize or depolarize except for brief intervals, for example during an action potential. Among other roles, the cell potential acts as a reservoir for metabolic energy, which cells use to drive the transport of solute molecules across the membrane, to communicate with other cells and to trigger intracellular events.
Basis
Between the inside and outside of the cell (which like the cytosol is typically uniform electrically) the voltage rises very steeply just at the boundary created by the membrane. This gives rise to the transmembrane electric field, which exerts a force on ions and controls voltage-gated ion channels. Integral membrane proteins such as channels, pumps, and exchangers establish the membrane potential by transporting specific ions in or out. In essence, resting cells are negative because positively charged potassium ions, which are more concentrated inside than outside, are allowed to leak out. The resulting negative voltage difference between inside and out is therefore approximately equal to the reversal potential for potassium. Sodium-potassium exchangers maintain intracellular potassium at a high concentration while pumping sodium into the extracellular solution, where the concentration of sodium typically is high.
A reservoir for metabolic energy
While cells expend energy to transport ions and establish a transmembrane potential, they use this potential in turn to transport other ions and metabolites such as sugar. The transmembrane potenial of the mitochondria drives the prodution of ATP, which is the common currency of biological energy.
Cell potential changes
Cells may draw on the energy they store in the resting potential to drive action potentials or other forms of excitation. These changes in the membrane potential itself can enable communication with other cells--as in the case of the impulses that travel nerves--or initiate changes inside the cell that undergoes them--such as the changes in an egg when it is fertilized by a sperm.Excitation involves a rush of sodium ions into the cell through sodium channels, resulting in depolarization, while recovery involves an outward rush of potassium through potassium channels. Both these fluxes occur by passive diffusion and tend to neutralize the concentration differences painstakingly established by the sodium-potassium exchanger and other pumps. As a result, cells cannot become excited many times in quick succession, and they require both time and metabolic energy to recover.
The study of the electrical properties of biological membranes belongs to electrophysiology or biophysics.
See also
- action potential
- electrochemical potential
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Cell potential."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In physics, the electrical potential of a given system at a given point determines the ratio of potential energy-to-electric charges at that point. The electrical potential is therefore a scalar field with units of energy per unit of electric charge (joules/coulomb = volt). The electric field is the negative gradient of the electrical potential.
A scalar field has a magnitude, but no direction, at every point in space. Thus, electrical potential is analogous to temperature--every point in space has a given temperature, and temperature gradients (analogous to the electric field) determine the direction of heat flows.
Introduction
Objects may possess a property known as electric charge. In the presence of an electric field, a force is exerted on such objects, accelerating them in the direction of the force. This force has the same direction as the electrical field vector, and its magnitude is given by the size of the charge multiplied with the magnitude of the electric field.Classical mechanics explores the concepts such as force, energy, potential etc. in more detail.
There is a direct relationship between force and potential energy. As an object moves in the direction the force accelerates it, its potential energy decreases. For example, the gravitational potential energy of a cannonball at the top of a tower is greater than at the base of the tower. As the object falls, that potential energy decreases and is translated to motion, or inertial energy.
For certain forces, it is possible to define the "potential" of a field such that the potential energy of an object due to a field is dependent only on the position of the object with respect to the field. Those forces must affect objects depending only on the intrinsic properties of the object and the position of the object, and obey certain other mathematical rules.
Two such forces are the gravitational force (gravity) and the electric force. The potential of an electric field is called the electrical potential.
Mathematical Introduction
The concept of electrical potential (denoted by: φE or V), also called electromotive force (ε), is closely linked with potential energy. Specifically, one definition for electrical potential is:
where U is the potential energy of the charge q. Here, q must be a test charge small enough as to not significantly affect the field. φE will only depend on the position of q but not on its size. The unit of electrical potential is J/C (joule per coulomb); more commonly known as the volt (V). Note that the potential energy and hence also the electrical potential is only defined up to an additive constant: one may arbitrary choose one position where the potential energy and the electrical potential is zero.
The electrical potential can also be calculated using the electric field E, thus:
where s is an arbitrary path connecting the point with zero potential to the point under consideration. Note: this equation cannot be used and the electrical potential is not defined if
×E ≠ 0, i.e., in the case of a changing magnetic field (see Maxwell's equations). When
for any closed path s (this equation, in a simplified form, is extremely useful in electrical engineering as one of Kirchoff's Laws).
If E is constant, then φE looks like this:
where s is the displacement vector from the point of zero potential to the point under consideration.
The electrical potential created by a point charge q can be shown to have the following form:
where r is the distance of the point under consideration from the point charge.
The electrical potentials due to a system of point charges may be computed as the sum of the respective potentials, which simplifies calculations significantly since adding scalar fields is very much easier than adding the electrical fields, which are vector fields.
See also potential difference.
References:
- Electric Potential
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Electrical potential."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In physics, potential is a scalar field used to describe a conservative (curl-free) vector field, such that the vector field is the gradient of the potential.Examples include gravity potential, electrostatic potential.
Or, a vector field describing a divergence free vector field (field with only closed field lines) that is its curl: magnetic potential.
Because the physically observable field is a spatial derivative of its potential, adding an arbitrary constant field to it -- a gauge transformation -- will not change anything in the physics of a system. This is called gauge invariance.
In quantum theory, we can identify the potential of a field with the wave function of the intermediary particle associated with that field, like the photon for the electromagnetic field, etc.
In classical mechanics, the forces is -1 times the gradient of the potential energy (so that the system is pushed towards a lower-energy configuration).
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Potential."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Potential energy or potential is energy stored in an object or substance. In most scientific circles, potential energy is symbolized by .
Gravitational potential energy
This energy is stored as a result of the elevated position of an object such as a rock on top of a hill or water behind a dam. It is written aswhere is the mass of the object in kilograms, the acceleration due to gravity in m/s2 and the height in meters above a chosen reference level.
In relation to spacecraft and astronomy g is not constant and the formula becomes an integral. In the case of a sphere of uniform mass (such as a planet), with h measured above the surface, the integral takes the form:
Where is the radius of the sphere, M is the mass of the sphere, and G is the gravitational constant.
If h is instead taken to be the distance from the center of the sphere, then outside the sphere the potential energy relative to that at the center has two terms:
,
which evaluates to:
[We may also want to link to an explanation of that second term (the gravitational forces created by hollow spherical shells)]
A frequently adopted convention is that an object infinitely far away from an attracting source has zero potential energy. Relative to this, an object at a finite distance r from a source of gravitation has negative potential energy. If the source is approximated as a point mass, the potential energy simplifies to:
Elastic potential energy
This energy is stored as the result of a deformed solid such as a stretched spring. As a result of Hooke's law, it is given by:
where is the spring constant, expressed in N/m, and is the displacement from the relaxed position, expressed in meters.
Chemical potential energy
This energy is stored in a molecular substance such as a hydrocarbon, which may be released by a chemical reaction (see oxidation)
Electrical potential energy
The electrical potential energy per unit charge is called electrical potential. It is expressed in volt. The fact that a potential is always relative to a reference point is often made explicit by using the term potential difference. The term voltage is also common.
Relation between potential energy and force
Potential energy is closely linked with forces. If the work done going around a loop is zero, then the force is said to be conservative and it is possible to define a numerical value of potential associated with every point in space. A force field can be re-obtained by taking the vector gradient of the potential field.For example, gravity is a conservative force. The work done by a unit mass going from point A with to point B with by gravity is and the work done going back the other way is so that the total work done from
The nice thing about potential energy is that you can add any number to all points in space and it doesn't affect the physics. If we redefine the potential at A to be and the potential at B to be [where can be any number, positive or negative, but it must be the same number for all points] then the work done going from
as before.
In practical terms, this means that you can set the zero of anywhere you like. You might set it to be zero at the surface of the Earth or you might find it more convenient to set it zero at infinity.
A thing to note about conservative forces is that the work done going from A to B does not depend on the route taken. If it did then it would be pointless to define a potential at each point in space. An example of a non-conservative force is friction. With friction, the route you take does affect the amount of work done, and it makes no sense at all to define a potential associated with friction.
All the examples above are actually force field stored energy (sometimes in disguise). For example in elastic potential energy, stretching an elastic material forces the atoms very slightly, further apart. Powerful electromagnetic forces try to keep the atoms at their optimal distance and so elastic potential is actually electromagnetic potential. Having said that, scientists rarely talk about forces on an atomic scale. Everything is phrased in terms of energy rather than force. You can think of potential energy as being derived from force or you can think of force as being derived from potential energy.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Potential energy."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
| POP | English | Potential patron | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: PotentialSynonyms: expected (adj), likely (adj), possible (adj), electric potential (n), potency (n), potential difference (n), potential drop (n), potentiality (n), voltage (n). (additional references) |
| Antonym: actual (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Existence | Well-founded, well-grounded; unideal, unimagined; not potential; authentic. |
Inexistence | Unreal, potential, virtual; baseless, in nubibus; unsubstantial; vain. |
Power | Pressure; conductivity; elasticity; gravity, electricity, magnetism, galvanism, voltaic electricity, voltaism, electromagnetism; atomic power, nuclear power, thermonuclear power; fuel cell; hydraulic power, water power, hydroelectric power; solar power, solar energy, solar panels; tidal power; wind power; attraction; vis inertiae, vis mortua, vis viva; potential energy, dynamic energy; dynamic friction, dynamic suction; live circuit, live rail, live wire. |
Adjective: powerful, puissant; potential; capable, able; equal to, up to; cogent, valid; efficient, productive; effective, effectual, efficacious, adequate, competent; multipotent, plenipotent, omnipotent; almighty. | |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Potential |
| English words defined with "potential": elastic potential energy ♦ potential unit ♦ resting potential. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "potential": absolute potential ♦ corrosion potential, corrosion potential Ec ♦ electrode potential, excitatory postsynaptic potential ♦ Flood Potential Outlook ♦ gravitational potential ♦ inhibitory postsynaptic potential ♦ potential density, potential gradient, potential index of refraction, potential noble, potential refractive index, pseudo-wet-bulb potential temperature ♦ redox potential ♦ Significant Potential Source of Contamination, Space Potential, streaming potential ♦ zero potential, zeta potential. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "potential": Equipotential. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Potential" is also a word in the following language with English translations in parentheses. German (capability, potential). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | My theory is that everyone is a potential murderer (Strangers on a Train; writing credit: Raymond Chandler; Whitfield Cook) If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners (Hoosiers; writing credit: Angelo Pizzo) I shall miss Earth, it has great potential. (K-PAX; writing credit: Charles Leavitt) I swear, if Buffy rooms or boards one more of the potential girls, I'm gonna call a health inspector (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; writing credit: Doreen Spicer) Have limited potential. (The Tao of Steve; writing credit: Duncan North; Greer Goodman) | |
Lyrics | Now every woman I see is a potential threat (Lay All Your Love On Me; performing artist: Abba) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Maximum Potential (1987) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References |
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Books |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | This is a schematic drawing of sites of potential metastases. Shown are the primary tumor and metastases to the brain, lung, liver and lymph nodes. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist. |  | Car junk yard in West Palm Beach, Florida. Potential mosquito breeding site. Credit: CDC. |
 | Abandoned plumbing fixtures in Miami, Florida. Potential mosquito breeding site. Bathtub. Credit: CDC. |  | Sounding boat off the LYDONIA Surveying potential bases in the Caribbean. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Feasibility studies for potential nuclear waste dump site Conducted for Atomic Energy Commission. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Wetland scientists evaluating potential marsh restoration project. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
 | Federal and state scientists evaluating potential restoration project on the Chenier Plain not far from Sabine River and Texas border. Credit: America's Coastlines. |  | A potential land purchase. Land acquisitions are used in restoration to act as buffer areas for coastal wetlands and other significant fishery habitats. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center. |
 | Near Alloway Creek, Salem County, NJ close to the Delaware River looking at potential land acquisitions to prevent development. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center. |  | Jackknife-fish's coloration makes it stand out to potential mates. Equetus lanceolatus. Credit: National Undersea Research Program (NURP). |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |
| "Miff the Rabbit in the sun" by Tyniuz C. Commentary: "Miff the White Dwarf rabbit enjoying the sunshine before the cat decides to have a go at a potential dinner. I like this picture for some reason, would be nice if i get some feedback on this photo." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| Author | Quotation |
Peter Ustinov | Unfortunately, the balance of nature decrees that a super-abundance of dreams is paid for by a growing potential for nightmares. |
Roger Williams | The greatest crime in the world is not developing your potential. When you do what you do best, you are helping not only yourself, but the world. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
Winston S. Churchill | 1946 | Fraternal association requires not only the growing friendship and mutual understanding between our two vast but kindred systems of society, but the continuance of the intimate relationship between our military advisers, leading to common study of potential dangers, the similarity of weapons and manuals of instructions, and to the interchange of officers and cadets at technical colleges. ("Iron Curtain" Speech) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Have potential side effects. (references) | |
As with all drugs, there are potential side effects. (references) | ||
EMG measures the electrical potential of muscle cells. (references) | ||
Business | The company addresses potential suppliers directly. (references) | |
Such products may have good market potential in Russia. (references) | ||
Bulgaria therefore has an enormous development potential. (references) | ||
Children | El Salvador | Rural areas fell short of providing a 9th grade education to all potential students, in part because of a lack of resources and in part because many rural parents withdraw their children from school by the 6th grade to work. (references) |
Civil Liberties | Korea | To obtain approval, potential visitors must demonstrate that their trip does not have a political purpose--that is, to praise North Korea or criticize the South Korean Government. (references) |
Togo | At the country's sole university, the University of Lome, previously known as the University of Benin, academic freedom is constrained by potential harassment by the Government and anti-opposition militants, or both, and the lack of a faculty-elected Rector. (references) | |
Economic History | Hungary | Due to the distance between the United States and Hungary, a potential customer may choose a EU or locally-produced product because of their concerns regarding obtaining replacement parts in a timely manner should the product require servicing. (references) |
Guinea | Two other areas that may offer potential for U.S. exports are wheat (now that there is a local wheat flourmill), and livestock feed (livestock production growth projections were 5.5% for 2000). (references) | |
Kenya | There is potential for additional investment due to rapidly increasing domestic and regional demand. (references) | |
Human Rights | Taiwan | The new modified adversarial trial system is a potential model for the rest of the judicial system. (references) |
United Kingdom | The 1996 Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act reduced defense lawyers' access to potential evidence held by the prosecution, including information as to how the evidence was collected. (references) | |
Yugoslavia | Federal law gives the Federal Ministry of the Interior control over the decision to monitor potential criminal activities; Republic-level laws give the Republic Ministries of the Interior the same control. (references) | |
Minorities | Mexico | In parts of Chiapas, local leaders of indigenous communities sometimes regard evangelical groups as unwelcome outside influences and potential economic and political threats. (references) |
Georgia | Mkalavishvili publicly encouraged these latest attacks, although he did not participate due to fear of potential legal consequences. (references) | |
Political Economy | REPUBLIC OF KOREA | Despite potential conflict-of-interest problems, the government has delegated authority to some Korean trade associations to carry out functions normally administered by the government. (references) |
Political Rights | Egypt | In addition previous convictions on such charges legally precluded many potential candidates from running. (references) |
Algeria | One potential candidate was denied the ability to run because the electoral commission determined that he could not prove that he had participated in Algeria's war of independence against France, a legal requirement for candidates for President born before July 1942. With the withdrawal of the other candidates and the absence of foreign observers, it was impossible to make an accurate determination of turnout for the election; although it apparently was as low as 30 percent, the Government claimed a 60 percent turnout. (references) | |
Malaysia | The anonymity of balloting also is a potential concern. (references) | |
Trade | Czech Rep | Efforts to improve transparency in economic decision-making will improve these potential trade irritants. (references) |
India | U.S. exporters can obtain an Ex-Im Bank Letter of Interest (LI) to assist in negotiations with a potential foreign buyer. (references) | |
Japan | Compliance with "voluntary" standards and obtaining "voluntary" marks of approval can greatly enhance a product's sales potential and help win Japanese consumer acceptance. (references) | |
Travel | Thailand | Business relationships in Thailand are not as formal as those found in Japan, China, Korea or the Middle East, but neither are they as relaxed and impersonal as is common in the West . Many business relationships have their foundations in personal relationships developed within the social circles of family, friends, classmates and office colleagues . Although Thailand is a relatively open and friendly society, it is advisable to approach potential business contacts with a prior introduction or personal reference . Thais will be more receptive if you arrive with an introduction or letter from a known government official or business contact . Using the Commercial Service's Gold Key Program is also an effective way to gain access to the Thai business community. (references) |
Ireland | It is not sufficient to merely label a product in conformity to national requirements for the development of the full market potential. (references) | |
Russia | Be alert to the potential for robbery in metro stations or trains where gangs of adults and children sometimes seize handbags or pick pockets. (references) | |
Women | Nigeria | WOPED believes that the practice is perpetuated because of a cultural belief that uncircumcised women are promiscuous, unclean, unsuitable for marriage, physically undesirable, or potential health risks to themselves and their children, especially during childbirth. (references) |
Japan | However, in August the Tokyo District High Court ruled against conventional wage compensation assessment methods that used exisiting gender income disparities to determine future earnings potential in the case of minors. (references) | |
Japan | Much of this disparity results from the "two-track" personnel administration system found in most larger companies under which new hires are put into one of two categories: Managerial track (those engaged in planning and decisionmaking jobs and with the potential to become top executives); or general track (those engaged in general office work). (references) | |
Worker Rights | Lithuania | The Pedagogic Psychology Center of the Education Ministry conducts preventive work among potential victims of sexual abuse and trafficking. (references) |
China | In some cities, signs in bus and train stations warn women of potential dangers; police in the stations have been trained to look for women who may be traveling against their The Government also established a national telephone hot line on abduction, as well as a national databank on victims and traffickers. (references) | |
Morocco | Those potential victims of trafficking who were detained, jailed, or deported usually were third country nationals transiting the country en route to Europe. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Dennis Miller | Not every errant piece of metal has the potential to kill. |
Don Imus | Well we, I mean I thought there was great potential, even though I voted for McCain. I thought there was great potential in him being goofy, you know, and saying goofy things. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Harry S. Truman | 1945-1953 | On the contrary, the war has demonstrated how effectively we can organize our productive system and develop the potential abilities of our people by aiding the efforts of private enterprise. |
Gerald Ford | 1974-1977 | I reassured America's allies and sought to reduce the danger of confrontation with potential adversaries. |
Jimmy Carter | 1977-1981 | In our relations with our potential adversaries, it is a myth that we must choose between confrontation and capitulation. |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | We cannot win that race held back by horse-and-buggy programs that waste tax dollars and squander human potential. |
George Bush | 1989-1993 | The indomitable spirit that is contributing to this victory for world peace and justice is the same spirit that gives us the power and the potential to meet our challenges at home. |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | But we also must make sure that we protect the exploding global commercial potential of the Internet. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Potential" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 60.93% of the time. "Potential" is used about 7,761 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 60.93% | 4,729 | 2,071 |
| Noun (singular) | 39.03% | 3,029 | 3,093 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.04% | 3 | 202,518 |
| Total | 100.00% | 7,761 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Country | Name |
| United Kingdom | Potential Finance Group PLC |
| (more examples...) |
Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.
Expressions using "potential": absolute potential ♦ action potential ♦ biologic potential ♦ biological potential ♦ biotic potential ♦ Body Surface Potential Mapping ♦ corrosion potential Ec ♦ cortical potential ♦ damage potential ♦ dating potential ♦ economic potential ♦ elastic potential energy ♦ electric potential ♦ electrode potential ♦ evaporation potential ♦ evoked potential ♦ excitatory postsynaptic potential ♦ high potential ♦ inhibitory postsynaptic potential ♦ market potential ♦ membrane potential ♦ Metra Potential method ♦ military potential ♦ newtonian potential ♦ not potential ♦ osmotic potential ♦ potential aggressor ♦ potential cautery ♦ potential customer ♦ potential danger ♦ potential difference ♦ potential divider ♦ potential drop ♦ potential enemy ♦ potential energy ♦ potential for damage ♦ potential function ♦ potential investor ♦ potential mode ♦ potential mood ♦ potential noble ♦ potential pitfall ♦ potential rate of evaporation ♦ potential threat ♦ potential unit ♦ reproductive potential ♦ resting potential ♦ somatosensory evoked potential evaluation ♦ somatosensory evoked potential test ♦ surface potential ♦ upside potential ♦ visual evoked potential test ♦ zero potential. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "potential": potential-difference, potential-divider. | |
Ending with "potential": death-potential, double-potential, electrode-potential, high-potential, radon-potential, vector-potential, work-potential. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "potential"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | potencial, mundësi (capability, capacity, chance, eventuality, handle, ingress, likelihood, look in, odds, opportunity, possibility, potentiality, power, presumption, probability, scope, space, wherewithal), i mundshëm (available, contingent, eventual, feasible, incident, likely, possible, presumable, probable, prospective), i fuqishëm (able bodied, forcible, full-blooded, green, hard, hearty, heavy, hefty, husky, lusty, marrowy, mighty, orotund, potent, powerful, racy, red blooded, robust, sound, spanking, stalwart, strenuous, strong, sturdy, trenchant, vigorous, violent). (various references) | |
Arabic | كامن (concealed, hidden, implicit, inherent, latent), ممكن (conceivable, contingent, imaginable, it is possible, likely, possible, thinkable), محتمل (bearable, endurable, likely, perchance, perhaps, possible, presumably, probable, prospective, sufferable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable), مرتقب (prospective), تيار عال, طاقة قصوى كهرباء, القوة (power), الجهد (effort), إمكانية (chance, possibility, potency, prospect, scope), إحتمالي (probable). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | съвкупност от средства, скрит (cagey, cagy, clandestine, close, covert, delitescent, dormant, furtive, hidden, implicit, implied, insidious, latent, occult, private, privy, recondite, secret, sneaking, snug, ulterior, underlying), възможности (margin, potentialities, resources), възможност (chance, eventuality, likelihood, look in, margin, possibility, potentiality, power, scope, show), възможен (conceivable, eventual, feasible, liable, likely, possible, thinkable), потенциален (dormant), потенциал. (various references) | |
Chinese | 潜力, 潛力 (capacity), 潛在 (hidden, latent). (various references) | |
Czech | potenciální (possible), pùsobivý (appealing, catchy, compelling, effective, forceful, forcible, imposing, impressive, operative, reactive, telling, workable), mocný (forceful, formidable, mighty, potent, powerful, strong, virtuous). (various references) | |
Danish | potentiel. (various references) | |
Dutch | potentieel, potentiaal. (various references) | |
Farsi | پنهانی (Privacy), پتانسیل , نهانی (Last, Occult, Secret, Suberranean, Surreptitious, Undercover, Underhand), عامل بالقوه , عامل (Agent, Doer, Element, Operative), ذخیره ای , دارای استعدادنهانی , بالفعل . (various references) | |
Finnish | mahdollinen (contingent, eventual, possible, prospective). (various references) | |
French | potentiel. (various references) | |
German | potentiell (potentially), Potential (capability). (various references) | |
Greek | πιθανότητα (chance, likelihood, odds, possibility, presumption, probability, verisimilitude, vraisemblance), ενδεχόμενοσ (contingent, eventual), ενδεχόμενος, τάση (affinity, bent, drift, inclination, proclivity, strain, tendency, trend), δυνητικόσ, δυνητική έγκλιση, δυναμικό (voltage), δυνατότητα (ability, capability, possibility, potentiality). (various references) | |
Hebrew | יכולת מרבית, שבכח (virtual), פוטנציאלי, פוטנציאל. (various references) | |
Hungarian | rejtett (arcane, clandestine, concealed, covert, dormant, hidden, hooded, hugger-mugger, inner, latent, latent image, occult, perdu, privy, recondite, stealthy, surreptitious), potenciális, lehetséges (as far as possible, feasible, it's possible, likely, maybe, possible, probable), lappangó (larval, latent, smouldering), helyzeti (positional), feltételes (conditional, conditioned, contingent, hypothetical, provisory, qualified). (various references) | |
Indonesian | kesanggupan (ability, capacity). (various references) | |
Italian | potenziale (prospective, strength). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 電位 , ポーランド語 (beeper, death, drink, drip, fall drop by drop, fried potato, mail box, making up only parts of one's face instead of doing a full make-up job, pager, pocket, pocket bell, pocket bike, pocket computer, pocket money, pocket monster, pocketable, pocket-size, pod, poem, poetic, poetical, poetry, point, point and shoot, point getter, point of sales system, point of view, point size, pointer, pointing, poison, pole, Polish, poll, polling, ponytail, pop, pop art, pop country, pop fly, pop gospel, pop jazz, popgroup, poppy, pops, popular, popular music, pop-up, pop-up window, POS system, position, positioning, positive, positive film, positron, possibility, post, post-, post office, postcard, post-doc, poster, poster color, poster session, poster value, Post-It, postmaster, postmodern, post-process, postscript, post-season, pot, potato, potato chip, potato chips, pot-au-feu, potency, pottering, soup, to break down, to fail), 潜在能力 (latent faculties, potential capacities), 潜在的 (latent), 潜勢力 (latent energy), 仮想 (imagination, supposition). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ポテンシャル , でんい, せんざいのうりょく (latent faculties, potential capacities), せんざいてき (latent), せんせいりょく (latent energy), かそう (appearance, construction of a house, converted, cremation, disguise, fancy dress, imagination, lower strata, masquerade, phenomenon, supposition, temporary burial). (various references) | |
Korean | 잠재력 (Potentiality). (various references) | |
Manx | cummyssagh (capable), cummys. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | otentialpay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | potencial (pressure, virtual). (various references) | |
Romanian | potenţial (potentialities, potentially), posibilitate (break, possibility, question, resource, room, show). (various references) | |
Russian | возможность (capabilities, chance, enablement, eventuality, feasibility, occasion, opening, opportunities, opportunity, position, possibility, pot luck, potentiality, resource, room, turn), потенциальный (dormant, voltage-control, voltage-operated), потенциал потенциальный. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | potencijalan (prospective), potencijal (power), silan (howling, intense, powerful, strong, swingeing, thumping), mogućnost (eventuality, liability, opportunity, possibility, potentiality), moguć (contingent, possible), moćan (mighty, potent, powerful). (various references) | |
Spanish | potencial. (various references) | |
Swedish | möjlig (conceivable, earthly, eventual, feasible, liable, mortal, possible). (various references) | |
Turkish | potansiyel (back demand, potency), yeterlik kipi, iktidar (ability, capability, capacity, potency, power), gerilim (intensity, tension, voltage), güç (ability, arduous, arm, baffling, capability, capacity, clout, clutch, clutches, command, control, difficult, dominance, energy, force, forcefulness, hard, intensity, iron, might, pep, pith, potency, power, punch, rod, sinew, spirit, stamina, steam, sting, strength, stuffing, sword, tone, tricksy, vigor, vigour, vim, vis, vitality, zing). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | можливий (affordable, apt, conceivable, contingent, eventual, feasible, likely, possible, presumable, presumptive, probable, prospective), потужний (bold, forceful, heavy, high-powered), потенціальний, потенціал. (various references) | |
Vietnamese | tiềm lực (potentiality). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | materia, materiem, potentia. (various references) |
| Late Latin | 300-700 | potentialis. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "potential": potentialities, potentiality, potentially, potentials. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "potential": equipotential, multipotential. (additional references) | |
| |
"Potential" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: otential, pestential, Porteniel, postostial, potantial, potencial, potenial, potenital, potentail, potentiall, potentiam, potentiel, potentillae, potention, potentium. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "potential" (pronounced pute"nshul or pute"nkhul) |
| 5 | -e" n sh u l | confidential, essential, experiential, jurisprudential, nonresidential, quintessential. |
| 4 | -n sh u l | financial, interprovincial, nonfinancial, provincial. |
| 3 | -sh u l | inertial, antisocial, artificial, beneficial, biracial, bushel, commercial, controversial, crucial, facial, glacial, impartial, spatial, special, superficial, infomercial, initial, interracial, judicial, Marshal, Marshall, martial, multiracial, noncommercial, noncontroversial, nonracial, official, palatial, partial, Paschal, prejudicial, prenuptial, racial, sacrificial, social, uncontroversial, unofficial. |
| 6 | -t e" n kh u l | existential. |
| 5 | -e" n kh u l | consequential, credential, deferential, differential, exponential, inconsequential, tangential, influential, nonessential, preferential, presidential, providential, prudential, residential, reverential, sequential, torrential. |
| 4 | -n kh u l | circumstantial, substantial, insubstantial. |
| 3 | -kh u l | bestial, celestial, hatchel, nuptial. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-i-l-n-o-p-t-t" | |
-1 letter: antipole, tinplate. | |
-2 letters: antipot, elation, opaline, paletot, pantile, patient, polenta, potline, talipot, toenail, topline. | |
-3 letters: alpine, aplite, entail, entoil, eolian, etalon, latent, latino, latten, lattin, lepton, litten, notate, opiate, pantie, patent, patine, patten, pattie, pelota, penial, pineal, pineta, pinole, pintle, piolet, plaint, planet, platen, pliant, pointe, polite, pontil, potent, pottle, talent, talion, teapot. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-e-i-l-n-o-p-t-t" | |
+1 letter: antilepton, potentials, potentilla, thiopental. | |
+2 letters: antileptons, interpolate, kinetoplast, potentially, potentillas, thiopentals. | |
+3 letters: explantation, exploitation, interpolated, interpolates, interpolator, kinetoplasts, metropolitan, placentation, potentiality, preallotting, repetitional, replantation, reputational. | |
+4 letters: anthophyllite, conceptualist, conceptuality, contemplating, contemplation, contemplative, equipotential, expectational, explantations, exploitations, expostulating, expostulation, extrapolating, extrapolation, importunately, interpellator, interpolating, interpolation, interpolative, interpolators, intertropical, metropolitans, neoplasticist, optionalities, outmanipulate, paleobotanist, palletization, pelletization, pentobarbital, permutational, placentations, planetologist, pneumatolytic, replantations, septentrional, sexploitation, teleportation. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Quotations: Familiar | 9. Quotations: Historic 10. Quotations: Non-fiction 11. Quotations: Spoken 12. Quotations: Speeches | 13. Usage Frequency 14. Names: Company Usage 15. Expressions 16. Expressions: Internet | 17. Translations: Modern 18. Translations: Ancient 19. Abbreviations 20. Acronyms | 21. Derivations 22. Rhymes 23. Anagrams 24. Bibliography |
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