influential
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of influential
First recorded in 1560–70; from Medieval Latin influenti(a) “stellar emanation” ( see influence) + -al 1
Explanation
If your grandfather worked his whole life in a circus and inspired you to wear clown shoes, you could describe your grandfather as very influential in your life. Something that exerts influence or power can be called influential. You could read a deeply meaningful book that becomes influential to you, or there might be an important person in your life who is strongly influential over various decisions you make. The Latin word influentem, "flowing in," is the root of the Old French influence, which described the power was believed to flow from the stars.
Vocabulary lists containing influential
Very Necessary: Synonyms for "Important"
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Latin Love, Vol II: fluere
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Unwind
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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.
The verbal skirmishes begin Tuesday with the influential Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. hosting an evening debate between Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents the area.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Doing so, Martinez de Vara told attendees at a January 2015 forum sponsored by the influential conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, would prevent future elected leaders from abandoning the model by, for instance, raising taxes.
From Salon • May 3, 2026
President Miguel Díaz-Canel took over from Castro’s brother, Raúl Castro, in 2018, but the Castros remain influential in the island’s politics.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Messrs. Curtin and Burgess implicate an entire influential field of literature projecting future climate damages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Euler was an excellent mathematician—in fact, he was one of the most prolific and influential in history—but in this case the careless manipulation of zero and infinity led him astray.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
