Possibilities for development or achievement; in physics, stored energy that can be converted to kinetic energy.
From Latin potentialis meaning 'powerful' or 'possible,' from potentia 'power.' The physics sense developed in the 19th century with advances in thermodynamics and electromagnetic theory.
The physics concept of potential energy beautifully parallels human potential - both represent stored capacity waiting for the right conditions to be released. A boulder on a hill and a talented student both possess tremendous potential that remains invisible until circumstances allow its conversion to action.
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