sphere of influence

American  

noun

plural

spheres of influence

1. any area in which one nation wields dominant power over another or others.

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sphere of influence British  

noun

1. a region of the world in which one state is dominant

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Etymology

Origin of sphere of influence

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The next major milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence," where the Moon's gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Across Iran’s sphere of influence Christian communities have experienced demographic collapse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

The Monroe Doctrine dates back to the U.S. president in 1823 who articulated his opposition to further European colonization of Latin America which he asserted would henceforth be a U.S. sphere of influence.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 30, 2025

Former US President Abraham Lincoln officially declared Liberia's independence in 1862 but the country retained a lot of US heritage and it remained in the American "sphere of influence" during the colonial period.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

Roman women supported the efforts of their husbands, but their sphere of influence was small.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby