influence
Americannoun
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influences
plural
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the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.
He used family influence to get the contract.
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the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.
Her mother's influence made her stay.
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a person or thing that exerts influence.
He is an influence for the good.
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Astrology.
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the radiation of an ethereal fluid from the stars, regarded as affecting human actions and destinies.
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the exercise of occult power by the stars, or such power as exercised.
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the exercise of similar power by human beings.
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Obsolete. influx.
verb (used with object)
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influences,
present (3rd person singular)
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influenced,
past participle, past
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influencing
present participle
idioms
noun
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an effect of one person or thing on another
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the power of a person or thing to have such an effect
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power or sway resulting from ability, wealth, position, etc
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a person or thing having influence
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astrology an ethereal fluid or occult power regarded as emanating from the stars and affecting a person's actions, future, etc
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informal drunk
verb
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to persuade or induce
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to have an effect upon (actions, events, etc); affect
Usage
What are other ways to say influence? Influence is the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions of another or others. How does influence compare to control and authority? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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counterinfluencenoun
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influencernoun
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noninfluencenoun
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preinfluencenoun
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superinfluencenoun
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interinfluenceverb
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outinfluenceverb (used with object)
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overinfluenceverb (used with object)
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reinfluenceverb (used with object)
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influenceableadjective
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uninfluencedadjective
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uninfluencingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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influencesimple
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influencessimple
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have influencedperfect
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has influencedperfect
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am influencingprogressive
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are influencingprogressive
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is influencingprogressive
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have been influencingperfect progressive
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has been influencingperfect progressive
Past
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influencedsimple
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had influencedperfect
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was influencingprogressive
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were influencingprogressive
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had been influencingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of influence
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Medieval Latin influentia “stellar emanation,” equivalent to Latin influent- ( see influent) + -ia -y 3; see -ence
Explanation
Influence is the power to have an important effect on someone or something. If someone influences someone else, they are changing a person or thing in an indirect but important way. Sometimes a person who influences another doesn't intend to have any effect, but sometimes they are using influence to benefit themselves. An example of a personal benefit or advantage would be the use of political influence. Influence is also a verb, from Latin influere to flow in.
Vocabulary lists containing influence
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
See Examples For:
The exchange says it prohibits trading on stolen confidential information, illegal tips and participation by anyone who can influence the outcome of a bet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Though Uganda is governed by an elected president, it has several traditional kingdoms which continue to have significant cultural influence despite not having political power.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Oliver and her colleagues are now examining another important question: whether human-driven changes to landscapes and climate influence the likelihood that animals will survive.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
It didn't respond to a request for comment, but it has rejected suggestions that its influence is collapsing, saying hundreds of candidates it backed have won their primaries.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Nobody’s allowed to be a bad influence on the rich kid.”
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Fed sets a single, overnight interest rate, which then influences long-term bond yields and mortgage rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Culture correspondent Noor Nanji takes a look at the country legend's larger-than-life style, its influences, and how Parton used it to advance her career.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Across the universe, gravity acts as an invisible framework that influences how galaxies, galaxy clusters, and the largest cosmic structures form and evolve.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
However, they cautioned that other influences on brain health, including lifestyle and social engagement, could also contribute to the differences they observed.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
Galton coined the memorable phrase nature versus nurture to discriminate hereditary and environmental influences.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Biological activity in soil is also strongly influenced by temperature and moisture.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
"I was born and raised in Japan, but I'm not influenced by Japanese culture and tradition."
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Away from this family links he has also been greatly influenced by Irish musicians such as the Pogues, Christy Moore and the Undertones.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
A New Englander deeply influenced by his reading of the Transcendentalists, Ives went into the insurance business while continuing to compose music, though his compositions weren’t widely performed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Every object is influenced by the environment it's in, so it’s impossible to cool anything in the universe—a banana, an ice cube, a dollop of liquid helium—to absolute zero.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Not least because the meal-assembling robot companies that have seemingly disappeared are actually still influencing food start-ups.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
The second bill aims to bar private investors from influencing a case — for example, telling a lawyer how many clients to take on or when to settle — in lawsuits they fund.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
“When you move fully into influencing, your metric of success becomes getting attention,” adds Gibson.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Factors that shape cognitive abilities during childhood and adolescence may have lasting effects that extend into adulthood, potentially influencing education and working life.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
That proud image ignores the role that slavery played in influencing some people’s attitudes about the war.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
