What is the difference between potential and possible

Examples: "synonyms: noumenaspirituavirtual" "ant actuaphenomenareal". Examples: "synonyms: efficacious influential".

Compare words:. Compare with synonyms and related words: actual vs real actual vs potential actual vs possible actual vs virtual actual vs speculative actual vs conceivable actual vs theoretical actual vs nominal actual vs hypothetical actual vs estimated actual vs present actual vs future actual vs past actual vs certain actual vs genuine.

Active Oldest Votes. In some contexts feasible and possible have very similar meanings. It is feasible to get the train to Paris. It is possible to get the train to Paris. I would see both of these as conveying the same idea. I would use feasible when I have a more specific goal: It is feasible for me to get the train to Paris in time for the meeting. It is not possible for me to get the train to paris in time for the meeting. It is possible that the train may be delayed.

It is possible that it will rain tomorrow. I don't think we would say It is feasible that it will rain tomorrow. He had the potential to be a great Rugby player until he suffered concussion. I mention the above to give a flavour the nuances that separate these synonyms. In your context we are talking about voltage patterns, and I can see merit in all three In your sentence my instinct is: Potential is less good because I don't believe it works well when dealing with a wide range of outcomes, and trivially, because Potential Difference is a synonym for Voltage.

Improve this answer. Add a comment. The phrase : The variables define the search space which includes all the possible voltage patterns. Why not feasible - Its proper sense is " capable of being done, accomplished, or carried out".

A thunderstorm is possible but not feasible. Fowler Modern English Usage: Feasibility: a of a design,project, etc. Misti Misti See a translation. Both have the similar meaning of "It can be done" however "potential" suggests that it can be done in the future but "possible" means it can be done now.

If somebody says "Robots could potentially run entire factories" It means that, within some time in the future, robots may be able to run entire factories. If somebody said "Robots could possibly run entire factories. The one learning a language! Azimat Senior Member Italian. How much close is the meaning of possible to the meaning of potential? They both work in your example, but the meaning is not quite the same. The difference in using potential in your example is the suggestion that at some future point one could use video games for this purpose.

Simply put and perhaps overly simple "possibly now" or "potentially later. Oeco said:. Click to expand I'm not sure I can say any more. Aristotle observed that to a sculptor, a piece of granite is "pure potential.