Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “potential” come from?

Potential comes from Late Latin potentialis, formed from Latin potentia (power, ability) with the suffix -alis, ultimately deriving from Latin possum (to be able).

potential (English): Currently unrealized ability; The gravitational...

Definitions

  1. Currently unrealized ability; The gravitational...

Ancestry of “potential”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Late Latinpotentialisforce, power
2Dutchpotentiaal—
3Germanpotenzial—
4Latinpotentialisforce, power
5LatinPotentia—
6Latinpotēns—
7Latinpossepresent active infinitive of possum  "to be able...
8Latinpotisable, capable, possible
9Proto-Italicpotis—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpótismaster, ruler; husband
11Proto-Indo-Europeanph₃tis—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₃-to drink

Words derived from “potential”

  • potentially
  • potentiality
  • equipotential
  • overpotential
  • geopotential
  • multipotential
  • pseudopotential
  • biopotential
  • bipotential
  • superpotential
  • potentialization
  • isopotential
  • underpotential
  • myopotential
  • afterpotential
  • prepotential
  • potentialize
  • bipotentiality
  • nonpotential
  • underpotentially
  • nonpotentiality
  • quasipotential
  • tripotential
  • hydropotential
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₃- →