with potential difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "with potential difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or task that may present challenges or obstacles. Example: "The project may proceed with potential difficulty due to the limited resources available."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Fraught with potential difficulty.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

But it is also fraught with potential difficulties of its own.

The New York Times - Arts

The proposal to let small businesses band together through trade associations to provide health coverage to their workers may seem reasonable at first glance, but it is fraught with potential difficulties.

The New York Times

Only the functional dimension of FCCHL was able to discriminate the few participants who had a mother language other than French highlighting difficulties understanding health information associated with potential difficulties understanding French generally.

Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes

The management of a failed shoulder arthroplasty represents a complex and difficult problem for the treating surgeon, with potential difficulties and complications that are related to the need to remove a well-fixed stem.

Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Rural areas and Tasmania will not be included because the former will have added constraints associated with potential difficulties in accessing gastroenterological services and the latter has a population too small to allow for appropriate stratification.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

This finding agrees with the potential difficulty (mentioned above) of considering all of the aspects involved in the concept of healthy eating, as is indicated in the literature (Oli et al., 2015).

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica

Patients with higher scores could be informed that their case, as well as having a higher risk of complication, is likely to be more difficult, and therefore may take a longer time to perform than a case with a lower potential difficulty score.

BMC Ophthalmology

Another potential difficulty with Schnorr randomness is that it is not quite as robust as ML-randomness.

SEP

By modifying NWChemto directly generate CML we avoid some of the potential difficulty with externalconverters discussed above.

Journal of Cheminformatics

One potential difficulty with this strategy is that people cannot vote for coalition, they can vote only for parties.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "with potential difficulty", consider the level of formality required for your audience. In formal writing, it effectively introduces possible challenges without being overly alarming. Be sure to provide context, i.e., "The experiment may proceed "with potential difficulty" due to limited resources."

Common error

Avoid using "with potential difficulty" when the difficulty is already certain. This phrase implies a possibility, not a guarantee. Instead of saying "The procedure, with potential difficulty, will take several hours", consider "The procedure will likely take several hours, due to anticipated difficulties."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "with potential difficulty" primarily functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or noun by adding information about the manner or condition in which something occurs. Ludwig AI confirms its usability and appropriateness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

56%

News & Media

26%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "with potential difficulty" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase to indicate the possibility of challenges or obstacles. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is suitable for various writing contexts, particularly within scientific and news-related content. While not overly frequent, it effectively introduces a note of caution. Remember to use it accurately, ensuring that the difficulty is genuinely potential and not a certainty. Consider alternatives like "with possible complications" or "potentially problematic" to fine-tune the nuance of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

with possible complications

Replaces "difficulty" with the more specific term "complications", implying a higher degree of seriousness.

potentially problematic

Uses an adjective phrase instead of a prepositional phrase to describe something that could cause problems.

fraught with challenges

Emphasizes the presence of many challenges, suggesting a more intense level of difficulty.

presenting possible hurdles

Uses "hurdles" to represent obstacles, implying something that needs to be overcome.

with inherent risks

Focuses on the risks involved, rather than the difficulties.

likely to face obstacles

Shifts the focus to encountering obstacles, emphasizing the likelihood of problems.

subject to potential setbacks

Highlights the possibility of delays or reversals in progress.

carrying potential impediments

Suggests obstacles that may hinder progress, highlighting the act of carrying the difficulties.

not without its trials

Uses a more figurative expression suggesting the presence of hardship.

posing possible snags

Employs a more colloquial term, "snags", to describe unexpected problems.

FAQs

How can I use "with potential difficulty" in a sentence?

Use "with potential difficulty" to introduce a possibility of challenges or obstacles in a situation. For example, "The project may proceed "with potential difficulty" if funding is not secured."

What are some alternatives to "with potential difficulty"?

Alternatives include "with possible complications", "potentially problematic", or "fraught with challenges" depending on the desired nuance.

Is it better to say "with potential difficulty" or "with possible difficulty"?

"With potential difficulty" and "with possible difficulty" are largely interchangeable. "Potential" emphasizes inherent capacity, while "possible" stresses likelihood. The choice often depends on stylistic preference, but "with potential difficulty" is slightly more formal.

How does "with potential difficulty" differ from "with definite difficulty"?

"With potential difficulty" suggests the possibility of problems, whereas "with definite difficulty" indicates that problems are certain to arise. Using the appropriate phrase depends on the degree of certainty you wish to convey.