Potential vs. Performance — What's the Difference?

Potential generally refers to a currently unrealized ability. The term is used in a wide variety of fields, from physics to the social sciences to indicate things that are in a state where they are able to change in ways ranging from the simple release of energy by objects to the realization of abilities in people.

A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function.

Capable of being but not yet in existence; latent or undeveloped

The act of performing or the state of being performed.

(Grammar) Of, relating to, or being a verbal construction with auxiliaries such as may or can; for example, it may snow.

The act or style of performing a work or role before an audience.

The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or future success

The way in which someone or something functions

The possibility that something might happen or result from given conditions

A presentation, especially a theatrical one, before an audience.

See electric potential.

Something performed; an accomplishment.

See gravitational potential.

(Linguistics) One's actual use of language in actual situations.

See magnetic potential.

The act of performing; carrying into execution or action; execution; achievement; accomplishment; representation by action.

(Grammar) A potential verb form.

That which is performed or accomplished; a thing done or carried through; an achievement; a deed; an act; a feat; especially, an action of an elaborate or public character.

Currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to)

(arts) A live show or concert.

(physics) The gravitational potential: the radial (irrotational, static) component of a gravitational field, also known as the Newtonian potential or the gravitoelectric field.

The amount of useful work accomplished estimated in terms of time needed, resources used, etc.

(physics) The work (energy) required to move a reference particle from a reference location to a specified location in the presence of a force field, for example to bring a unit positive electric charge from an infinite distance to a specified point against an electric field.

(linguistics) The actual use of language in concrete situations by native speakers of a language, as opposed to the system of linguistic knowledge they possess (competence), cf. linguistic performance.

(grammar) A verbal construction or form stating something is possible or probable.

The act of performing; the carrying into execution or action; execution; achievement; accomplishment; representation by action; as, the performance of an undertaking of a duty.

Existing in possibility, not in actuality.

That which is performed or accomplished; a thing done or carried through; an achievement; a deed; an act; a feat; esp., an action of an elaborate or public character.

(archaic) Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result

A dramatic or musical entertainment;

(physics) A potential field is an irrotational (static) field.

The act of performing; of doing something successfully; using knowledge as distinguished from merely possessing it;

(physics) A potential flow is an irrotational flow.

The act of presenting a play or a piece of music or other entertainment;

(grammar) Referring to a verbal construction of form stating something is possible or probable.

Process or manner of functioning or operating;

Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential.

Any recognized accomplishment;

Existing in possibility, not in actuality.

Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially.

In the theory of gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such that its differential coefficients with respect to the coördinates are equal to the components of the force at the point considered; - also called potential function, or force function. It is called also Newtonian potential when the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of the distance from the center.

The energy of an electrical charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth; electro-motive force.

The inherent capacity for coming into being

The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts

Existing in possibility;

Expected to become or be; in prospect;