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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Potential \Po*ten"tial\, a. [Cf. F. potentiel. See {Potency}.]
1. Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result;
efficacious; influential. [Obs.] "And hath in his effect a
voice potential." --Shak.
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2. Existing in possibility, not in actuality. "A potential
hero." --Carlyle.
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Potential existence means merely that the thing may
be at ome time; actual existence, that it now is.
--Sir W.
Hamilton.
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{Potential cautery}. See under {Cautery}.

{Potential energy}. (Mech.) See the Note under {Energy}.

{Potential mood}, or {Potential mode} (Gram.), that form of
the verb which is used to express possibility, liberty,
power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the use of may,
can, must, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go;
he can write.
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Potential \Po*ten"tial\, n.
1. Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially.
--Bacon.
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2. (Math.) In the theory of gravitation, or of other forces
acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates
which determine the position of a point, such that its
differential coefficients with respect to the coordinates
are equal to the components of the force at the point
considered; -- also called {potential function}, or {force
function}. It is called also {Newtonian potential} when
the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely
as the square of the distance from the center.
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3. (Elec.) The energy of an electrical charge measured by its
power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as
referred to some standard, as that of the earth;
electro-motive force.
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