potentialadjective [ before noun ]
uk/pəˈten.ʃəl/us/poʊˈten.ʃəl/B2 possible when the necessary conditions exist:
A number of potential buyers have expressed interest in the company.
Many potential customers are waiting for a fall in prices before buying.
The accident is a grim reminder of the potential dangers involved in North Sea oil production.
More examples
- Of course we don't want to alarm people unnecessarily, but they should be alerted to potential dangers.
- They went into the restaurant and handed out leaflets to potential customers.
- We estimate the potential market for the new phones to be around one million people in this country alone.
- We shall pilot several new cosmetic products to selected potential purchasers.
- The potential benefits outweigh the problems.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Potential
- accident
- an accident waiting to happen idiom
- auspicious
- be an actor, cook, etc. in the making idiom
- budding
- fertile
- making
- not be beyond the wit of man/sb idiom
- potentiality
- potentially
- promise
- promising
- prospect
- room
- room for improvement idiom
- rosy
- sleeper
- untapped
- viable
- wit
See more results »
potentialnoun [ U ]
uk/pəˈten.ʃəl/us/poʊˈten.ʃəl/potential noun [ U ] (ABILITY)
B2 someone's or something's ability to develop, achieve, or succeed:
The region has enormous potential for economic development.
I don't feel I'm achieving my full potential in my present job.
[ + to infinitive ] You have the potential to reach the top of your profession.
I think this room has got a lot of potential (= could be very nice if some changes were made to it).
More examples
- The school is based on the fundamental principle that each child should develop its full potential.
- The house looks a bit of a mess now, but it's got real potential.
- That child shows great potential - he's a talented musician.
- We need to find new ways to help students realize their potential.
- The aim is to maximize the potential for financial growth.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Potential
- accident
- an accident waiting to happen idiom
- auspicious
- be an actor, cook, etc. in the making idiom
- budding
- fertile
- making
- not be beyond the wit of man/sb idiom
- potentiality
- potentially
- promise
- promising
- prospect
- room
- room for improvement idiom
- rosy
- sleeper
- untapped
- viable
- wit
See more results »
potential noun [ U ] (IN PHYSICS)
specialized physics the amount of electricity passing through an electric circuit, measured in volts