different between potence vs potential

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French potence (“power, a crutch”), from Latin potentia (“power, in Medieval Latin also crutch”), from potens (“powerful”); see potent.

Noun

potence (countable and uncountable, plural potences)

1. power or strength; potency
2. A stud that acts as a support of a pivot in a watch or clock
3. (heraldry) Synonym of crutch

Derived terms

• idempotence
• nilpotence
• unipotence

Related terms

• potency
• potent
• potentate
• potential
• potentiality

Further reading

• potence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• potence in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• pet cone

Czech

Etymology

Latin potis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?pot?nt?s?]
• Rhymes: -?nts?

Noun

potence f

1. potency

Related terms

Further reading

• potence in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
• potence in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989

French

Etymology

From Old French, borrowed from Latin potentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?.t??s/

Noun

potence f (plural potences)

1. (construction) post and braces
2. gallows, gibbet (for hanging)
3. stem (component on a bicycle)

Usage notes

Beware that this is a false friend, meaning “gallows” (or similar wooden constructions), not “strength”, from the Middle Latin meaning “crutch” of potentia.

Synonyms

• gibet

Derived terms

• gibier de potence

Further reading

• “potence” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• écopent

English

Etymology

From Late Latin potentialis, from Latin potentia (“power”), from potens (“powerful”); synchronically analysable as potent +? -ial.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /p??t?n??l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /po(?)?t?n??l/
• Hyphenation: po?ten?tial

Noun

potential (countable and uncountable, plural potentials)

1. Currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to)

2. (physics) The gravitational potential: the radial (irrotational, static) component of a gravitational field, also known as the Newtonian potential or the gravitoelectric field.
3. (physics) The work (energy) required to move a reference particle from a reference location to a specified location in the presence of a force field, for example to bring a unit positive electric charge from an infinite distance to a specified point against an electric field.
4. (grammar) A verbal construction or form stating something is possible or probable.

Synonyms

• noumenon
• spirit

Antonyms

• matter
• phenomenon

Related terms

• potence
• potency
• potent
• potentate
• potentiality

Translations

Adjective

potential (not comparable)

1. Existing in possibility, not in actuality.

   Synonyms: noumenal, spiritual, virtual

   Antonyms: actual, phenomenal, real
2. (archaic) Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result

   Synonyms: efficacious, influential
3. (physics) A potential field is an irrotational (static) field.
4. (physics) A potential flow is an irrotational flow.
5. (grammar) Referring to a verbal construction of form stating something is possible or probable.

Translations

Further reading

• potential in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• potential in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• Potential on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Potential (physics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Swedish

Noun

potential c

1. potential

Declension

Related terms

• potens
• potentialvandring
• potentiell