Existent
Existent adjective - Existing in fact and not merely as a possibility.
Usage example: to some people, angels are as existent as aardvarks or astronomers
Potential
Potential adjective - Existing only as a possibility and not in fact.
Usage example: I can see a few potential problems with co-owning a beach house with another couple
Both words in one sentence
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The potential for addiction and losing touch with reality are bad enough for people without already-existent psychological problems.
Source: Series / Perception -
While CD's definitely do have the potential to have better quality of vinyls, the reality is that the modern music industry loves pumping out releases that feature maxed-out volumes and non-existent dynamics, a major pet peeve of audiophiles.
Source: Two Decades Behind
Cite this Source
Potential and Existent. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/existent/potential
Existent & Potential. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/existent/potential>.
Potential or Existent. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/existent/potential.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "existent" and "potential" have occurred on timeline