potential enemy

collocation in English

meaningsofpotentialandenemy

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withenemy.
potential
adjective[before noun]
uk
/pəˈten.ʃəl/us
/poʊˈten.ʃəl/
possible when the necessary ...
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enemy
noun
uk
/ˈen.ə.mi/us
/ˈen.ə.mi/
a person who hates or opposes another person and tries to harm them or stop them from ...
See more atenemy

(Definition ofpotentialandenemyfrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesofpotential enemy

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
The army officer corps was considered the most powerfulpotentialenemyto the new regime.
From theCambridge English Corpus
In such a context the foreigner is too easily simplified into a double-headed beast: the smiling host elsewhere, thepotentialenemyat home.
From theCambridge English Corpus
An economic exchange with apotentialenemywas regarded as basically problematic, and trade was to be assessed in terms of political and not economic criteria.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Our motives are ignored and our actions condemned, while the actions and motives of thepotentialenemyare left to go in tacit assent.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is the point of the deterrent that it must be credible in the mind of thepotentialenemy.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
That is the one thing that matters to thepotentialenemy.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
If half the reports which we hear of the submarine force of ourpotentialenemyare true, it presents an alarming state of affairs.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We face apotentialenemywho, if it pays him, will stop at nothing and for whom the end justifies the means.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is a mistake to single out any particular nation and to regard it as yourpotentialenemyfor the next ten years.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
This must be wise when we consider that we can never match ourpotentialenemyin terms of manpower.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
In a country which is ourpotentialenemy, where labour is scarce, they assembled nearly 500,000 men to carry out defensive preparations in three months.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The tendency of professional men when dealing with defence problems is always to organise against somepotentialenemy.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Could we then provide an effective deterrent which would prevent apotentialenemyfrom making mincemeat of us, if that enemy so desired?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We are facing apotentialenemywhich has almost the whole of its army under armour.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
He is well aware that for a deterrent to be effective apotentialenemymust understand that we would actually use it.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Does he want us to tell apotentialenemyprecisely how many planes we have?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Could we actually do that and could we convince apotentialenemythat we would?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We need to know what apotentialenemyis capable of doing.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
At those times, obviously one is justified in trying to prevent strategic commodities from reaching thepotentialenemy.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We are also making the mistake of concentrating too much on onepotentialenemy.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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See other collocations withenemy