substantial potential

USAGE SUMMARY

"substantial potential" is a perfectly acceptable phrase in written English.
You would generally use it to refer to a possibility that is large and/or meaningful. For example, "The company's new product has substantial potential to disrupt the market and bring in significantly higher sales."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Improving birth weight could thus potentially bring about a substantial potential benefit given the associations between high blood pressure and various health conditions such as hypertension and stroke.

Health Economics Review

Caregivers clearly state that existing products need improvement or have substantial potential to for improvement as potentially available functionalities are currently either not seen or of low effect.

Fashion and Textiles

Yahoo said it feared "substantial potential for abuse".

The Guardian

Gilmour's "substantial potential" was being "wasted while he spends too long in prison".

Independent

Some would plainly have substantial potential were they subject to genetic evaluation and development through modern breeding techniques.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"We are unaware of and do not participate in such an effort, and if it exists, it offers substantial potential for abuse.

The Guardian

As they say: Although EVs are an important technological breakthrough with substantial potential environmental benefits, these cannot be harnessed everywhere and in every condition.

The Guardian

However, we retain our buy rating as we believe Vodafone has attractive potential to materially improve its structural position by acquiring cable assets, and realizing substantial potential synergies.

The Guardian - Business

The Ecosystem Markets Task Force speaks of "substantial potential growth in nature-related markets – in the order of billions of pounds globally".

The Guardian - Opinion

This represents a substantial potential market in the U.S. alone.

New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science

They're looking at some pretty substantial potential gain.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "substantial potential", ensure it's followed by a clear indication of what that potential relates to. For instance, specify the area, outcome, or impact where the potential is evident. For example, "The research exhibits "substantial potential" for breakthroughs in cancer treatment".

Common error

Avoid using "substantial potential" without providing concrete examples or supporting details. Overstating potential without backing can undermine credibility and weaken your argument.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "substantial potential" primarily functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It describes the degree or amount of possibility, capability, or prospect associated with something. According to Ludwig, this phrase is perfectly acceptable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

53%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "substantial potential" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase across various contexts, including science, news, and business. According to Ludwig, it's a perfectly acceptable phrase for highlighting significant possibilities or opportunities. While the phrase is versatile, it's important to provide specific details or supporting evidence to avoid overstatement. Related phrases like "considerable possibility" and "significant capacity" can offer nuanced alternatives. Remember to contextualize its usage to enhance clarity and impact. By following these guidelines, you can effectively leverage "substantial potential" in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

considerable possibility

Replaces "potential" with "possibility" and "substantial" with "considerable", altering the tone slightly to emphasize the plausibility of an outcome.

significant capacity

Substitutes "potential" with "capacity", focusing on the ability to achieve something, and "substantial" with "significant", indicating importance.

major prospect

Emphasizes a forward-looking view, replacing "potential" with "prospect" and "substantial" with "major" to highlight importance.

notable aptitude

Shifts the focus to inherent skill or talent, using "aptitude" instead of "potential" and "notable" in place of "substantial".

remarkable promise

Replaces "potential" with "promise", indicating an expectation of future success, and "substantial" with "remarkable", highlighting impressiveness.

great capability

Focuses on the inherent ability to perform, using "capability" instead of "potential" and "great" in place of "substantial" to express magnitude.

extensive aptitude

Similar to "notable aptitude" but emphasizes the breadth of skills by using "extensive" instead of "substantial".

large capacity

Uses "large" instead of "substantial" to describe the size of the capacity, maintaining a similar meaning.

appreciable prospect

Highlights the perceivable nature of the prospect by using "appreciable" instead of "substantial".

considerable talent

Shifts the focus to innate ability, using "talent" instead of "potential" and "considerable" to show importance.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "substantial potential" in a sentence?

Use "substantial potential" to highlight significant possibilities or opportunities. Follow it with a clear explanation of what the potential refers to, like, "This technology has "substantial potential" to revolutionize the industry".

What are some alternatives to saying "substantial potential"?

You can use alternatives like "considerable possibility", "significant capacity", or "major prospect" to convey a similar meaning.

Is "substantial potential" formal or informal language?

"Substantial potential" is suitable for both formal and neutral contexts, as seen in its use across news media, science, and business publications. Therefore, using "substantial potential" in formal writing is a perfectly correct option.

What distinguishes "substantial potential" from "high potential"?

"Substantial potential" emphasizes the magnitude or significance of the potential, whereas "high potential" simply indicates a notable degree of potential. The choice depends on whether you want to stress the size or the degree of the possibility.