Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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. 2. Existing in possibility, not in actuality. ``A potential hero.'' --Carlyle. Potential existence means merely that the thing may be at ome time; actual existence, that it now is. --Sir W. Hamilton. {Potential cautery}. See under {Cautery}. {Potential energy}. (Mech.) See the Note under {Energy}. {Potential mood}, or {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.
\Po*ten"tial\, n. 1. Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially. --Bacon. 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 co["o]rdinates 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. 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.