Potentsiaalsed

Potentsiaalsed is a term used in Estonian-language discourse to refer to the class of potential states a system may realize, as distinct from its actual state. The term is formed from potentsiaal, meaning "potential," with the suffix -sed, functioning as a plural adjective and, in some contexts, as a substantive noun.

In philosophy and cognitive science, potentsiaalsed describe possible states or actions that an agent could undertake but has not yet actualized. In physics and chemistry, it can denote the set of potential configurations of a system, often represented as a potential-energy landscape where each point corresponds to a configuration and its energy.

Potentsiaalsed is widely used within Estonian-language texts but has no official status in international standards; it is primarily a translation-friendly term used to discuss potentiality and possibility across disciplines.

See also: Potential (philosophy), Potential energy, Modal logic, Possible world, Potentiality, Estonian linguistics.