potencijalnim

Potencijalnim is the instrumental singular form of the adjective potencijalni, used in the Serbo-Croatian language area (Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, and Montenegrin) to express a relation to “potential.” It functions as a modifier of nouns in the instrumental case and appears in formal or descriptive contexts. The base noun potencijal meaning “potential” comes from Latin potentia, and the adjective potensial is formed in the local languages with the usual Slavic suffixes.

In usage, potensijalnim accompanies nouns in the instrumental case, often describing actions, conditions, or resources associated with potentiality. Common examples include phrases such as s potencijalnim kupcima (with potential buyers), s potencijalnim rizicima (with potential risks), or u potencijalnim situacijama (in potential situations). These constructions are typical in business, legal, scientific, or policy discourse where the idea of possibility or capability is being considered.

Grammatical notes are language-specific: potenci l- forms adapt to gender and number according to standard Serbo-Croatian declension rules. Potencijalnim specifically denotes the instrumental singular form of potencijalni, and its use is tied to the syntactic role of the accompanying noun in instrumental construction. The term underscores the concept of possibility, capability, or likelihood within sentences.

Etymology traces potencijalni to potencijal, which in turn derives from Latin potentia, meaning power or ability. The construction reflects the widespread semantic field of potentiality across the languages of the region.

See also potential, potencijal, potentialni.