Meaning & use
greatest potential
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
the highest possible ability or chance that someone or something has to develop or succeed in the future
Grammar: Often used after 'have' or 'reach': She has the greatest potential in the team.
Patterns
- have the greatest potential
- reach your greatest potential
- the greatest potential for something
Among all the young players, Mia has the greatest potential.
The new drug shows the greatest potential for treating the disease.
This region has the greatest potential for solar power in the country.
Common combinations
- have the greatest potential
- She has the greatest potential of anyone in her class.
- reach your greatest potential
- Good teachers help students reach their greatest potential.
- the greatest potential for
- The greatest potential for growth is in online sales.
Synonyms and how they differ
- highest potential
- Very similar, but 'highest' often sounds more like a measured score, while 'greatest' sounds more like an overall judgment.
- best chance
- Focuses on probability of success rather than ability to develop.
Opposites
Commonly confused: greatest potential or great potential?
greatest potential vs great potential
'Great potential' means a lot of potential in general; 'the greatest potential' compares one person or thing with all others.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'The greatest potential' needs 'the' because it is a superlative. 'Of the team' is possible in some contexts, but 'in the team' is the natural choice here; the other options are ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “greatest potential”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.