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.
Laura Miller makes the case that Edgar Allan Poe—whose work deliberately eschews many of the essential themes of American literature—is actually the most influential American writer of them all.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
Though Democrats flocked to support Becerra as he rapidly ascended in the primary election polls, he won largely without help from unions or influential organizations such as the California Medical Assn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Since beginning operations more than three decades ago, Hubble has become one of the most influential scientific observatories ever launched.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
In 1976, Frieda opened his own salon in central London which became massively successful and booked up months in advance as his reputation as an influential stylist grew.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Hannah Arendt, the influential cultural critic who documented the perverse excesses of Nazism, would later write about the “banality of evil” that permeated German culture during the Nazi era.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
