potential
Possible in the future, though not happening yet.
potential in a sentence
- The scout spotted a potential striker in the under-elevens.
- They warned us about the potential danger of walking on thin ice.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to potential?
- Apossible
- Bactual
- Creal
Show the answer
A: possible. The other three mean the opposite of potential.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to potential?
- Afuture
- Bpromising
- Cpossible
- Dactual
Show the answer
D: actual. The other three mean nearly the same as potential.
Words that mean something similar
possible, future, promising
Words that mean the opposite
actual, real
More words about time & change
- predicament: A tricky situation that is hard to get out of.
- prevail: To win in the end or to be the strongest.
- previous: Coming before the one you are talking about.
- primitive: Very simple and from an early time, without modern comforts.
- procrastinate: To keep putting off something you should do now.
- prolong: To make something last longer.
- promote: To move someone up to a more important position.
- prompt: Quick and without delay.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test