potential

1. 1

   A currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to).countableuncountable

   • Even from a young age it was clear that she had the potential to become a great musician.
2. 2

   The gravitational potential: the radial (irrotational, static) component of a gravitational field, also known as the Newtonian potential or the gravitoelectric field.countableuncountable

3. 3

   The work (energy) required to move a reference particle from a reference location to a specified location in the presence of a force field, for example to bring a unit positive electric charge from an infinite distance to a specified point against an electric field.countableuncountable

4. 4

   A verbal construction or form stating something is possible or probable.countableuncountable

syn. noumenon · spirit

ant. matter · phenomenon

1. 1

   Existing in possibility, not in actuality.not-comparable

   • The heroic man,—and is not every man, God be thanked, a potential hero?—has to do so, in all times and circumstances.
2. 2

   Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a resultarchaicnot-comparable

   • And hath, in his effect, a voice potential
3. 3

   irrotationalnot-comparable

   • From Maxwell equations (6.20) it follows that the electric field is potential: E(r) = −gradφ(r).
4. 4

   irrotational (see potential flow on Wikipedia)not-comparable

   • The non-viscous flow of the vacuum should be potential (irrotational).
5. 5

   Referring to a verbal construction of form stating something is possible or probable.not-comparable