influence

[in-floo-uhns]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR influence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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), in·flu·enced, in·flu·enc·ing.

to exercise influence on; affect; sway: to influence a person.

to move or impel (a person) to some action: Outside factors influenced her to resign.

Idioms

under the influence, Law. less than drunk but with one's nervous system impaired: He was driving while under the influence.Also under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

Origin of influence

1325–75; Middle English < Medieval Latin influentia stellar emanation, equivalent to Latin influent- (see influent) + -ia -y³; see -ence

Related formsin·flu·ence·a·ble, adjectivein·flu·enc·er, nouncoun·ter·in·flu·ence, noun, verb (used with object), coun·ter·in·flu·enced, coun·ter·in·flu·enc·ing.in·ter·in·flu·ence, verb, in·ter·in·flu·enced, in·ter·in·flu·enc·ing.non·in·flu·ence, nounout·in·flu·ence, verb (used with object), out·in·flu·enced, out·in·flu·enc·ing.o·ver·in·flu·ence, verb (used with object), o·ver·in·flu·enced, o·ver·in·flu·enc·ing.pre·in·flu·ence, nounre·in·flu·ence, verb (used with object), re·in·flu·enced, re·in·flu·enc·ing.su·per·in·flu·ence, noun, verb (used with object), su·per·in·flu·enced, su·per·in·flu·enc·ing.un·in·flu·enced, adjectiveun·in·flu·enc·ing, adjective

Can be confusedaffluence effluence influence

Synonyms for influence

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR influence ON THESAURUS.COM

2. sway, rule. 7. impress, bias, direct, control. 8. incite, rouse, arouse, instigate, induce, persuade.

Synonym study

2. See authority.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for influenced

moved, determined, altered, persuaded, swayed, shaped, turned, formed

Examples from the Web for influenced

Contemporary Examples of influenced

As Gaidar suggests, this is the rare case when public reaction has influenced authorities at all.
Putin’s Health Care Disaster
Anna Nemtsova
November 30, 2014
But this is a situation in which the films have influenced the behavior of young pro-democracy activists in real life.
‘The Hunger Games’ Stars Silent on Thai Protesters
Asawin Suebsaeng
November 21, 2014
It was obvious to me that Bill Evans was influenced by Ravel, too.
Herbie Hancock Holds Forth
David Yaffe
November 8, 2014
But what influenced his change of heart to move away from Jacobinism as an ideology?
Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator
J.P. O’Malley
November 7, 2014
Still other critics are baffled that Borges was influenced by such strange and disparate sources.
Borges Had A Genius For Literature But Not Love Or Much Else
Allen Barra
October 24, 2014

Historical Examples of influenced

Mr. Paine did not admire Mrs. Davis, and was not likely to be influenced by her prejudices.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
Then, quite decided not to be influenced by anybody, I set off at once with my maid for Hvre.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Who could have influenced me, since nobody has entered my life?
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
Perhaps some hastiness in my way of proceeding may have influenced her determination.
Gomez Arias
Joaqun Telesforo de Trueba y Coso
Influenced by them, the emigrants and conquerors from the north also tried to be like the Romans.
Introductory American History
Henry Eldridge Bourne

British Dictionary definitions for influenced

influence

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

under the influence informal drunk

verb (tr)

to persuade or induce

to have an effect upon (actions, events, etc); affect

Derived Formsinfluenceable, adjectiveinfluencer, noun

Word Origin for influence

C14: from Medieval Latin influentia emanation of power from the stars, from Latin influere to flow into, from fluere to flow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for influenced

influence

1650s, from influence (n.). Related: Influenced; influencing.

influence

late 14c., an astrological term, "streaming ethereal power from the stars acting upon character or destiny of men," from Old French influence "emanation from the stars that acts upon one's character and destiny" (13c.), also "a flow of water," from Medieval Latin influentia "a flowing in" (also used in the astrological sense), from Latin influentem (nominative influens), present participle of influere "to flow into," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + fluere "to flow" (see fluent). Meaning "exercise of personal power by human beings" is from mid-15c.; meaning "exertion of unseen influence by persons" is from 1580s (a sense already in Medieval Latin, e.g. Aquinas). Under the influence "drunk" first attested 1866.

Idioms and Phrases with influenced

influence

see under the influence.