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Possible vs Potentially - What's the difference?

possible | potentially |

As an adjective possible

is (usually|not comparable) able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.

As a noun possible

is a possible one.

As an adverb potentially is

in a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.

possible

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • (usually, not comparable) Able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;
  • (comparable) Capable of being done or achieved; feasible.
  • * {{quote-book, 1901, Louis Freeland Smith, The Public, volume=4, page=438, pageurl=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000080738168&page=search;seq=444;view=image;num=438
    • , passage=And success in minor degree, in the sense in which he uses the term "success," is only somewhat more possible than success in winning the White House chair.}}
  • * {{quote-news, 1993, September 10, Lee Michael Katz, Expectant Mideast hopes to bear twin peace deals, USA Today, page=2A citation
    • , passage=Peace between Israel and the Arab countries is "more possible than any time before," says ex-Arab League U.N. ambassador Clovis Maskoud. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= A punch in the gut , passage=Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible . Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.}}
  • Being considered, e.g. for a position.

    • Derived terms

    * as much as possible * ASAP (as soon as possible) * possibly

    Related terms

    * possibility * potent * potential * probable * improbable * incidental * contingent

    Antonyms

    * (able but not certain to happen) certain, inevitable, impossible * (capable of being done) impossible

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A possible one
  • (colloquial, rare) A possible choice, notably someone being considered for a position.
    • Jones is a possible for the new opening in sales.
  • (rare) A particular event that may happen.

    • Synonyms

    * possibility * option

    Antonyms

    * impossible * no-go

    Statistics

    *

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    potentially

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author= Michael Sivak
    • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply? , passage=Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.}}
  • (label) Powerfully, strongly.
  • * 1851 , (Herman Melville), (Moby-Dick) :
    • I freely assert, that the cosmopolite philosopher cannot, for his life, point out one single peaceful influence, which within the last sixty years has operated more potentially upon the whole broad world, taken in one aggregate, than the high and mighty business of whaling.