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 phenomenon is showing up in the cost of passing through the Panama Canal and in Chilean copper output, and might influence everything from Asia’s rice crop to the powder at Colorado ski resorts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
The influence of AI on the labor market, however, is still small for now.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
Daichi Kamada: Busy in midfield as always but struggled to exert influence.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
That unusual shift gave researchers a chance to separate the influence of human presence from the effects of permanent changes to the landscape.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
He attempted to exercise his influence, as in fact the etiquette of the code duello required, to find a way out of the impasse.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Eight years into his own managerial career, the Coventry City boss cited Mourinho and Ancelotti as the main influences on his style.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
For more than four decades, Kidjo, 66, has taken African sounds to global audiences, blending influences from her native Benin with funk, jazz and pop.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The Journal previously ran a Personal Board of Directors series asking prominent business leaders like Oscar Munoz and Carla Harris about mentors who remained influences throughout their careers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
By comparing highly curved wrinkles with nearby areas of flat graphene, the researchers were able to separate the electrical effects produced by curvature from other possible influences.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Kids need guidance from their parents, but their parents have no idea what influences their children are facing in their new world.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
“The long end is still much more influenced by factors outside of the Fed’s control: How is the economy doing? What does the fiscal outlook look like? Is there more hyperscalers’ issuance coming?”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
The AK-47 rifle is a good example: It was developed by Russian designers, influenced by a German assault rifle, then mass-produced by the Soviet Union’s sprawling factories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
For bin Laden, who despised the Western influence on the Middle East, his religion, Islam, influenced his political beliefs.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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
By influencing these receptors, the drugs can reduce food intake, promote weight loss, and help regulate blood sugar.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Brands rushing to Reddit in the hopes of influencing AI outputs are colliding with the platform’s fiercely protective moderators, the WSJ Leadership Institute’s Katie Deighton reports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Energy markets and oil prices also play an important role in influencing the COLA.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 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.
