as in possibility
something that can develop or become actual would like to see a colony on the moon as an actuality and not merely a potentiality

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of potentiality Practically, then, the translator reads with an eye to understanding the affordances offered by a text—to re-creating its potentialities, rather than merely offering a lexical equivalent. Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024 Meanwhile, parsing-of-totality depends on advancing sensing techniques to harness atoms’ deeper patterns and potentiality. Pravir Malik, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024 The goal, in the end, is to expand and enlarge our sense of self and the potentialities within our craft through careful reading, compositional imitation, and rigorous discussion. Ocean Vuong september 6, Literary Hub, 6 Sep. 2022 If Vietnam damaged the credibility of experts, experts were no more inclined to value the democratic potentialities of the public. Daniel Bessner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017 See All Example Sentences for potentiality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentiality
Noun
  • New Mexico and Arizona will also see an increase in showers and thunderstorms and a possibility for localized flash flooding today into Friday.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Investors should be ready for considerable volatility and the possibility of significant losses should market conditions worsen or the company does not execute its ambitious growth strategy.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The paper also highlights the potential of digital twins — virtual patient replicas that allow doctors to simulate treatments before applying them in real life.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This creates the potential for payload delivery and even medical evacuation from orbit to any major metropolitan area.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Potentiality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentiality. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on potentiality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!