Potentially vs Possibly - What's the difference?
potentially | possibly | Synonyms |
In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.
* {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author=
, magazine=(American Scientist), title= (label) Powerfully, strongly.
* 1851 , (Herman Melville), (Moby-Dick) :
(modifying a clause or predicate)
(modifying a verb)
Possibly is a synonym of potentially.
As adverbs the difference between potentially and possibly
is that potentially is in a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way while possibly is Indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker.potentially
English
Adverb
(en adverb)Michael Sivak
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.}}
- 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.
possibly
English
Adverb
(en adverb)- Possibly , they will make gains in the midterm elections.
- It was possibly the costliest mistake in the organization's history.
- This rare and possibly unique specimen must be conserved.
- I'm much stronger than you, so you can't possibly win.
- I couldn't possibly be there on time.
- I couldn't possibly cheat on my wife.
- It seems unlikely, but, yes, they could possibly win even now.
- The police don't know him, and the information they have leads them to think he could possibly have murdered his wife.