potentiality
potentiality — noun
- potentialitysingular
- potentialitiesplural
1. A hidden quality or ability that a person, thing, or situation has within it, an
A hidden quality or ability that a person, thing, or situation has within it, and which could develop into something real or successful if the conditions become right.
The architect could see the potentiality of the empty warehouse as a beautiful studio space.
potentiality + of [noun] as [noun]
Noor's research explored the potentiality of stem cells to repair damaged heart tissue.
potentiality + of [noun] + to-infinitive
With the right teacher, every student's potentiality for learning a new language can be unlocked.
Nadia saw the empty factory as full of potentiality, waiting for someone to revive it.
The young pianist played with a potentiality that surprised even her longtime teacher.
- potential
Much more common and natural in everyday use; 'potentiality' is restricted to formal or technical contexts.
- capability
Focuses on what someone or something can already do or is equipped to do, rather than what may develop.
- capacity
Emphasizes the maximum possible amount or extent, often of a measurable quality like effort or emotion.
- promise
Implies expected future success, used almost exclusively for people; less precise than 'potentiality'.
文法句型
potentiality + for + noun/gerund
potentiality + to-infinitive
possessive + potentiality
用法筆記
More formal and abstract than the common word 'potential'. Frequent in academic, philosophical, and formal writing. Unlike 'potential', this noun can appear in a countable form, especially when referring to multiple possible future developments (e.g., 'the various potentialities of the situation').