potential for something
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Likelihood or possibility of something happening
Literally: capacity for something to occur
Register: neutral
Examples
The new policy has potential for growth
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Everyday learner phrase (CEFR B2); level cross-referenced from published learner lists. Definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “potential for something” mean?
Likelihood or possibility of something happening Literally: capacity for something to occur
Is “potential for something” formal or informal?
potential for something is generally neutral.