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
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Recent Examples of potentiality
On foot, there are no boundaries in the land, no divides, nothing but the past and the potentiality of the future.
—
Michael McColly, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Each of these sentiments points to the rich, fertile space that exists at the margins—of the body, of language, of the photograph—while also emphasizing the creative potentialities of touch, the action that propels these often porous edges to meet.
—Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
The time lapses don’t connect these scenes narratively so much as suggest the potentialities of a constantly warping persona.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for potentiality
Michael McColly, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Each of these sentiments points to the rich, fertile space that exists at the margins—of the body, of language, of the photograph—while also emphasizing the creative potentialities of touch, the action that propels these often porous edges to meet.
—Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
The time lapses don’t connect these scenes narratively so much as suggest the potentialities of a constantly warping persona.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for potentiality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potentiality
Noun
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That eliminates the possibility of prices spiking by the hour based on demand signals or individual shopper data.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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So many possibilities, but maybe not a hundred thousand billion of them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Max is one of the great composers of our time, and his work has a depth and emotional truth that has the potential to break our hearts.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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IntoUniversity helps disadvantaged young people achieve their full potential by building confidence and opening up pathways to future study and careers.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potentiality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potentiality. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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