influence
Americannoun
-
influences
plural
-
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.
-
the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.
Her mother's influence made her stay.
-
a person or thing that exerts influence.
He is an influence for the good.
-
Astrology.
-
the radiation of an ethereal fluid from the stars, regarded as affecting human actions and destinies.
-
the exercise of occult power by the stars, or such power as exercised.
-
-
the exercise of similar power by human beings.
-
Obsolete. influx.
verb (used with object)
-
influences,
present (3rd person singular)
-
influenced,
past participle, past
-
influencing
present participle
idioms
noun
-
an effect of one person or thing on another
-
the power of a person or thing to have such an effect
-
power or sway resulting from ability, wealth, position, etc
-
a person or thing having influence
-
astrology an ethereal fluid or occult power regarded as emanating from the stars and affecting a person's actions, future, etc
-
informal drunk
verb
-
to persuade or induce
-
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
-
counterinfluencenoun
-
influencernoun
-
noninfluencenoun
-
preinfluencenoun
-
superinfluencenoun
-
interinfluenceverb
-
outinfluenceverb (used with object)
-
overinfluenceverb (used with object)
-
reinfluenceverb (used with object)
-
influenceableadjective
-
uninfluencedadjective
-
uninfluencingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
influencesimple
-
influencessimple
-
have influencedperfect
-
has influencedperfect
-
am influencingprogressive
-
are influencingprogressive
-
is influencingprogressive
-
have been influencingperfect progressive
-
has been influencingperfect progressive
Past
-
influencedsimple
-
had influencedperfect
-
was influencingprogressive
-
were influencingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Attendees ranged from strategists at Anthropic and SAP to employees of branding firms, as well as patent attorneys who discussed AI’s influence on trademark law over coffee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
It’s hard not to see the tech industry’s influence in healthcare right now.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
"They allow the effects of the drug to extend beyond individual cells and influence the entire tissue."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Each of the former Barclays traders in Wednesday's successful appeal had originally been convicted of a single count of conspiracy to defraud as result of alleged attempts to influence financial benchmark rates.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
With the breakup of the Ottoman Empire and the release of Arab lands from Turkish rule, that oil-rich region was divided into spheres of British and French influence.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
"It's not something we don't discuss. Of course we have to discuss it, but it's not like that influences the discussions in the room and decisions that come out," he insisted.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Studying both materials allowed the researchers to investigate how the microscopic structure of the superconducting state influences what happens when extremely strong, ultrafast currents are applied.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
The rate on the 10-year Treasury is closely watched, as it influences the cost of trillions of dollars in borrowing for consumers, companies and the U.S. government.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
WSJ spoke with Foley about her influences, how she approached the project and what it was like to get the signoff from Christie’s estate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
If you were going to devise an experiment to measure the relative influences of nature versus nurture, you couldn’t come up with anything better than my life.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
The broadcaster said he had spent time in Syria, raising concerns he may have been influenced by radical groups there.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
The bond market is typically heavily influenced by slow-moving macroeconomic trends, LeBas pointed out.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Whether this was the correct course of action, and whether the decision was influenced by wanting to prevent the grand prix finishing under caution, will remain a subject for debate.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
There’s also the possibility that recommendations could one day be influenced by sponsorships, said Campbell, the Harvard professor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The Doctrine of Discovery influenced the policies of the young United States and directly affected the lives and the very existence of Native people.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Instead, the researchers reshape the surrounding vacuum environment, providing a noncontact method for influencing a quantum state of matter.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
However, Juve, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina were all implicated in influencing referees.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Will Barnett, head of recruiting for a Bay Area startup, swears he still speaks like a human but finds AI-use is influencing his communications over Slack and email.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Isabel Wang explained how the global oil market has become the most important factor influencing the stock and bond markets.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Even the wealthiest men, influencing the far-off London exchanges and local commerce alike, provided no inspiration.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
