POTENTIAL

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English potencial, from Late Latin ~is, from potentia ~ity, from Latin, power, from potent-, potens Date: 14th century existing in possibility ; capable of development into actuality , expressing possibility, see: latent ~ly adverb II. noun Date: 1817 1. something that can develop or become actual , promise 2, 2. any of various functions from which the intensity or the velocity at any point in a field may be readily calculated, the work required to move a unit positive charge from a reference point (as at infinity) to a point in question, ~ difference