Definition of "potentiality" [po•ten•ti•al•i•ty]

• The state of being potential. (noun)
• Inherent capacity for growth, development, or coming into existence. (noun)
• Something possessing such capacity. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He felt a sharp gradation between himself and his shipmates, and was wise enough to realize that the difference lay in potentiality rather than achievement."
• "The ending of this living potentiality is considered wrong for many Christians (Catholics, eastern orthodox) and most Muslims."
• "But that potentiality is not made easy of accomplishment by reason of its geography."