sphere of influence
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sphere of influence
First recorded in 1880–85
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.
Moscow has reacted sharply to the prospect of losing another ally in what it sees as its sphere of influence.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
And the Southeastern Conference has expanded its sphere of influence to include Austin, Texas, and Norman, Okla.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 8, 2025
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
What there is in this world, I think, is a tendency for human errors to level themselves like water throughout their sphere of influence.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
