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
Peter H. LewisThe phenomenon seemed significant for both the science of immunology and, potentially, for medicine.—Daniel J. Kevles
Daniel J. KevlesPotentially 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
L. J. DavisThe 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
Sumathi ReddyExamples of potentially in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Green 1 and 2: Both banned in 1965 due to a potential link to cancer.
Sudan 1 and Butter Yellow: Banned in 1919 after it was found to be toxic and potentially carcinogenic.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
Plus odds for a player with Lewandowski’s prowess to score just twice in potentially three matches would be a no-brainer.
—Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Many smaller suppliers are not equipped to change or move manufacturing operations quickly and may not have the capital to pay for tariffs, potentially causing stoppages in production.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,annika Kim Constantino,leslie Josephs,ari Levy,amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,hugh Son,michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Even minor inaccuracies can lead to serious medical errors, potentially endangering lives.
—Ganesh Padmanabhan, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
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Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
Plus odds for a player with Lewandowski’s prowess to score just twice in potentially three matches would be a no-brainer.
—Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Many smaller suppliers are not equipped to change or move manufacturing operations quickly and may not have the capital to pay for tariffs, potentially causing stoppages in production.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,annika Kim Constantino,leslie Josephs,ari Levy,amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,hugh Son,michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Even minor inaccuracies can lead to serious medical errors, potentially endangering lives.
—Ganesh Padmanabhan, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potentially
Cite this Entry
“Potentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potentially. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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