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4 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Potential \Po*ten"tial\, noun
1. Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially. --Bacon.
2. (Math.) In the theory of gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such that its differential coefficients with respect to the co["o]rdinates are equal to the components of the force at the point considered; -- also called {potential function}, or {force function}. It is called also {Newtonian potential} when the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of the distance from the center.
3. (Elec.) The energy of an electrical charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth; electro-motive force.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Potential \Po*ten"tial\, adjective [Cf. F. potentiel. See {Potency}.]
1. Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential. [Obs.] ''And hath in his effect a voice potential.'' --Shak.
2. Existing in possibility, not in actuality. ''A potential hero.'' --Carlyle.
Potential existence means merely that the thing may be at ome time; actual existence, that it now is. --Sir W. Hamilton.
{Potential cautery}. See under {Cautery}.
{Potential energy}. (Mech.) See the Note under {Energy}.
{Potential mood}, or {Potential mode} (Gram.), that form of the verb which is used to express possibility, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the use of may, can, must, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go; he can write.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
potential
adjective
1: existing in possibility; "a potential problem"; "possible uses of nuclear power" [syn: {possible}] [ant: {actual}]
2: expected to become or be; in prospect; "potential clients"; "expected income" [syn: {expected}, {likely}]
noun
1: the inherent capacity for coming into being [syn: {potentiality}, {potency}]
2: the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts [syn: {electric potential}, {potential difference}, {potential drop}, {voltage}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
127 Moby Thesaurus words for "potential": EMF, ability, aptitude, bare possibility, between the lines, budding, bump, caliber, capability, capacity, chance, cogitable, concealed, conceivability, conceivable, conceivableness, conceivably possible, conditional, contingency, contingent, covert, cryptic, delitescent, developing, dormant, dower, dowry, electric potential, electromotive force, electromotivity, embryonic, endowment, equipment, esoteric, even chance, eventuality, faculty, flair, forte, future, genius, gift, good chance, good possibility, hibernating, hidden, hope, humanly possible, imaginable, imminent, imperative, implicit, implied, indicative, instinct, jussive, latent, likelihood, likely, long suit, lurking, makings, metier, mode, mood, muffled, mystic, natural endowment, natural gift, obfuscated, obligative, obscured, occult, off chance, optative, outside chance, outside hope, parts, passive, permissive, plausible, possibilities, possibility, possible, possibleness, potency, potential difference, potentiality, power, powers, probability, probable, prospect, qualification, quiescent, remote possibility, sleeping, small hope, speciality, strong flair, strong point, subjunctive, submerged, talent, talents, the attainable, the feasible, the goods, the possible, the stuff, thinkability, thinkable, thinkableness, under the surface, underlying, undeveloped, unmanifested, unrealized, veiled, virtual, virtuality, volt, voltage, what is possible, what it takes, what may be, what might be
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. Audio provided by one of our generous visitors. - KM |