potentially

Potentially is an adverb used to express that something could happen or become true under certain conditions, without asserting certainty. It signals possibility and hedge, often relating to outcomes, risks, or hypothetical scenarios. For example, a statement like "The project could potentially reduce costs" suggests that cost reduction is possible but not guaranteed, while "The plan is potentially risky" marks risk as a latent characteristic rather than an established fact.

Etymology and form. The word is derived from the adjective potential, which traces back to Latin potentia and the stem potens, meaning powerful or able. The suffix -ly turns potential into the adverb potentially, enabling it to modify verbs, adjectives, or nouns and to qualify assertions across different domains.

Usage and nuance. Potentially often conveys a conditional or latent capability—something that exists in principle but requires certain conditions to be realized. It can function as a hedging device in science, policy, journalism, and everyday speech. In practice, potentially can carry a stronger sense of conditionality than possibly, which merely indicates possibility without emphasizing dependencies. For instance, "The therapy could potentially help, depending on the patient" emphasizes conditional effectiveness, whereas "The therapy could help, possibly" shifts focus toward likelihood. In risk communications, excessive use of potentially may blur probability estimates; precise language or quantified probabilities is often preferred when accuracy matters.

See also: potential, possible, hedging (linguistics), modality.