potentially

What it means

1. In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.

   Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.

   2013 September-October, Michael Sivak, “Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?”, in American Scientist

   1 more example

   Its impending end has rung alarm bells across social media, with a baseline tariff as high as 145% depending on the carrier set to take effect on Chinese imports, potentially more than doubling the cost for all those cheap products deal-hungry Americans scooped up.

   2025 May 2, Elisabeth Buchwald and Ramishah Maruf, “A massive tariff on millions of Americans’ purchases just went into effect — cue the chaos”, in CNN

   Synonyms: in posse

2. obsoletePowerfully, strongly.

   I freely assert, that the cosmopolite philosopher cannot, for his life, point out one single peaceful influence, which within the last sixty years has operated more potentially upon the whole broad world, taken in one aggregate, than the high and mighty business of whaling.

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC

In a sentence

Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.

2013 September-October, Michael Sivak, “Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?”, in American Scientist

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*pótis
2. Proto-Italic*potis
3. Proto-Italic*potēō
4. Proto-Italic*potēnts
5. Latinpotēns
6. Latinpotentia
7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
9. Late Latinpotentialis
10. Englishpotential
11. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
12. Proto-Germanic*līką
13. Englishpotentially

From potential + -ly.