the energy of a body or system as a result of its position in an electric, magnetic, or gravitational field. It is measured in joules (SI units), electronvolts, ergs, etc
Symbol: Ep, V, U, φ. Abbreviation: PE
potential energy in American English
energy that is the result of relative position or structure instead of motion, as in a compressed spring
Examples of 'potential energy' in a sentence
potential energy
As a story, it has more potential energy than kinetic, though the kinetic is powerful.