The German philosopher Martin Heidegger argued that man is a being, aspiring primarily to the future. Psychologists say that such an attitude is neurotic, that is, one must live, if possible, in the present and not allow the ghosts of the future to overshadow the present. We don’t know who is right and who is wrong, but we know that today we are analyzing the adjective “potential” in detail, it should be interesting.
The popular word is actually getting old
Everyone can see the craze of modernity for the English language. Even one very well-known person in the Internet space said that she knows many languages, but the investments were justified only in English. But those who study other foreign languages, do not be sad, because the reality is changing very quickly. Today English is on horseback, and tomorrow - Chinese or French. By the way, about the last one. It is from him that the word came to us"potential" and it happened quite a while ago. Dictionaries speak of the 19th century. In French, there is the concept of potentiel, which goes back to the Latin potentialis, and potens, in turn, is "powerful".
Now, we think, much has become clear and not only regarding the object of study. For example, when you are told something about potentiality, then simply such expressions need to be translated to us by the well-known word “possibly”. But, as we know, possibility is not reality; the opposite is also true. Not to say that the adjective “potential” hides secrets (that would be an exaggeration), but we did learn something about our reality. Like any story, the history of language deepens our understanding of what is happening around.
Meaning
We love the etymological dictionary, but still not like an explanatory dictionary. So let's look at the latter. Historical memory must be preserved, but it is even more important to be in trend, that is, to understand and operate with the true, modern meaning of the word "potential":
- Same as potential.
- Potential, possible.
There are no discrepancies between the two dictionaries. In order not to leave the reader in the dark about the first meaning, we will reveal the meaning of the word "potential":
- Physical quantity that characterizes the force field at a given point.
- The degree of power, the totality of possibilities.
The first meaning is direct, the second is figurative. Usually in everydayspeeches about the physical quantity are not remembered. Potential is the hidden potential of an area, industry or person.
Measuring potential is especially wrong in sports. As soon as some talent appears, they immediately say: “The future Messi!” Previously, of course, there was Maradona, but now the generation of those who watched the game of the scandalous Argentine is gradually leaving. He was replaced by a quiet Argentinean, who became almost an icon during his lifetime.
But, of course, the adjective "potential" is not only a tool of journalists. A person generally likes to put forward hypotheses, build castles in the air, the main thing here is not to get carried away. Maybe Heidegger is right: a person is bored in the present, his soul is directed to the future. However, we digress.
Synonyms
Last but not least, synonyms for "potential".
- possible;
- probable;
- hidden;
- valid;
- intended;
Probably there could have been more substitutions, but we think five is a good number. We think that the reader has caught the main idea and, if he needs, he will easily continue this synonymous series.
