influencer
Americannoun
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a person or thing that influences.
The most powerful influencer of beliefs is direct experience.
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a person who has the power to influence many people, as through social media or traditional media.
Companies look for Facebook influencers who can promote their brand.
Etymology
Origin of influencer
First recorded in 1660–70; influence ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Someone who uses their online reputation to prompt people to buy things is an influencer. Don't spend all your money on an expensive sweater just because it looked great on an influencer! Influencers are online celebrities, most of whom found their fame on social media platforms. The most popular influencers hold a lot of clout, whether they're publicizing a lifestyle, demonstrating a gadget, or modeling clothing. These internet stars can make a lot of money promoting products for big companies by using their influence over their followers. In addition to this recent definition of influencer, you can also use it for anyone who holds sway over other people's opinions or actions.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then, BookTok influencer Maya Le Espiritu included it in a roundup of books on the theme of raising revolutionary kids.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
He’s a defender from New Zealand that an influencer in Argentina dubbed “the least known player” at the World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
He has also increasingly mocked the protests, recently posting an AI-generated video in which he is dressed in a faux-leather skirt and a mesh top, mimicking an influencer counting demonstrators.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
But we do know that Rossetti’s firing shows just how challenging it is for a millennia-old institution to keep control of its message in the age of the influencer.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
He will be the prime influencer in everything, and we may depend upon him as a man equally enlightened and liberal.
From The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Volume X (of 12) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
