Phrase guide

potential energy

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The energy possessed by an object because of its position (in a gravitational or electric field), or its condition (as a stretched or compressed spring, as a chemical reactant, or by having rest mass).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the mechanical energy that a body has by virtue of its position; stored energy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: P.E.

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mechanical energy

Narrower terms: elastic energy, elastic potential energy

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

68 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: energjia potenciale — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Arabic: طاقة وضع — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Armenian: պոտենցիալ էներգիա (potencʻial ēnergia) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Asturian: enerxía potencial — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Azerbaijani: potensial enerji — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Basque: energia potentzial — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Belarusian: патэнцыяльная энергія (patencyjalʹnaja enjerhija) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Bulgarian: потенциална енергия (potencialna energija) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Catalan: energia potencial — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 勢能 /势能 (shìnéng) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 位能 (wèinéng) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Chuvash: потенциалла энерги (pot̬entsialla energi) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Czech: potenciální energie — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Danish: potentiel energi — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Dutch: potentiële energie — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Esperanto: potenciala energio — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Estonian: potentsiaalne energia — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Finnish: potentiaalienergia — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • French: énergie potentielle — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Galician: enerxía potencial — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Georgian: პოტენციური ენერგია (ṗoṭenciuri energia) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • German: potentielle Energie — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • German: Lageenergie — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Greek: δυναμική ενέργεια (dynamikí enérgeia) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Hebrew: אנרגיה פוטנציאלית — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Hindi: स्थितिज ऊर्जा (sthitij ūrjā) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Hungarian: potenciális energia — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Icelandic: stöðuorka — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Indonesian: energi potensial — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Indonesian: tenaga tempat — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Irish: fuinneamh poitéinsiúil — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Italian: energia potenziale — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Japanese: 位置エネルギー (ichi enerugī) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Japanese: ポテンシャルエネルギー (potensharu enerugī) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Kazakh: потенциалдық энергия (potensialdyq énergiä) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Korean: 위치 에너지 (wichi eneoji) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Korean: 퍼텐셜 에너지 (peotensyeol eneoji) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Latin: energīa potentiālis — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Latvian: potenciālā enerģija — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Lithuanian: potencinė energija — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Macedonian: потенцијална енергија (potencijalna energija) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Malay: tenaga keupayaan — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Malayalam: സ്ഥിതികോർജ്ജം (sthitikōṟjjaṁ) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Māori: pūngao moe — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Marathi: स्थितीज ऊर्जा (sthitīj ūrjā) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Norwegian: potensiell energi — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Occitan: energia potenciala — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Persian: انرژی پتانسیل — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Polish: energia potencjalna — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Portuguese: energia potencial — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Punjabi: ਪੁਟੈਂਸ਼ਲ ਊਰਜਾ (puṭaĩśal ūrajā) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Romanian: energie potențială — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Russian: потенциа́льная эне́ргия (potɛnciálʹnaja enɛ́rgija) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Serbo-Croatian: potencijalna energija — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Serbo-Croatian: потенцијална енергија — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Slovak: potenciálna energia — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Slovene: potencialna energija — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Spanish: energía potencial — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Swedish: potentiell energi — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Swedish: lägesenergi — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Tagalog: biniting kusog — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Telugu: స్థితిశక్తి (sthitiśakti) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Thai: พลังงานศักย์ (pá-lang-ngaan-sàk) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Turkish: potansiyel enerji — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Ukrainian: потенціальна енергія (potencialʹna enerhija) — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Uzbek: potensial energiya — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Vietnamese: thế năng — energy possessed by an object because of its position
  • Welsh: egni potensial — energy possessed by an object because of its position