potentiaaliset

Potentiaaliset is an Finnish adjective form meaning "potential" or "likely" and is used to describe plural nouns. It is the plural nominative form of potentiaalinen and appears directly before a noun, as in potentiaaliset asiakkaat (potential customers) or potentiaaliset riskit (potential risks). The term signals something that exists as a possibility or is capable of occurring but has not yet materialized.

Etymology and usage notes: Potentiaaliset derives from potentiaalinen, which in turn comes from the concept potentia (potential, power) found in Latin and has entered Finnish through European language contact, including Swedish and German linguistic influence. In Finnish, potentiaalinen and potentiaaliset are used in a broad sense to describe hypothetical, prospective, or latent qualities, opportunities, or conditions.

Domains and examples: In business language, potentiaaliset asiakkaat refer to prospective customers who may become clients. In science and philosophy, the word can describe potential states, conditions, or energies that could be realized under certain circumstances. In everyday speech, it can modify nouns to convey non-actualized possibilities, as in potentiaaliset mahdollisuudet (potential opportunities) or potentiaaliset vaikutukset (potential effects).

Related terms: potentiaali (noun for “potential”), potentiaalinen (adjective “potential” or “likely”), and related compound expressions. The concept parallels usage in many languages to denote something that could become real under the right conditions, while remaining hypothetical at present.

See also: potentiaali, potentiaalinen, potentiaalienergia.