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 In a striking parallel to the 1990s, epochal thinking about the potentialities of a high technology society has once again upended politics. Jacob Bruggeman & Casey Eilbert / Made By History, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025 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 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
  • Ivey sees possibilities for students elsewhere, or in the future.
    Dr. Marlena Corcoran, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • Maxwell said the housing subcommittee is considering the possibility of suspending or amending ordinances that relate to short-term housing, in the hopes that those hoping to turn their homes into Airbnbs can do so safely, and without breaking ordinances.
    Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • Our own data showed an uptick in the organizational adoption of AI, indicating transformative potential.
    Brian Jackson, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • In other practice sessions not open to the media, Star-Telegram sources have said that Milton has had multiple eye-popping throws downfield that give a glimpse into his potential.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Potentiality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentiality. Accessed 2 Jun. 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!