1
as in authoritative
having power over the minds or behavior of others
in light of the effect that they have had, religious leaders such as Jesus and Muḥammad must be regarded as among the most influential people ever
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerful
having great power or influence
a particularly influential politician got the team a new ballpark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of influential
Amazon Prime Day is one of the most lucrative and influential retail events in the world.
—
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Leaders must move beyond being good communicators and become influential communicators who create meaningful connections, cut through the noise and motivate people.
—Stacey Hanke, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Since then, they have been adopted by 20 states and the District of Columbia, Branch says, and have been influential all over the country.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 8 July 2025
With the serve becoming increasingly influential in the current game, the records being broken today will likely be surpassed again in the next decade.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Leaders must move beyond being good communicators and become influential communicators who create meaningful connections, cut through the noise and motivate people.
—Stacey Hanke, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Since then, they have been adopted by 20 states and the District of Columbia, Branch says, and have been influential all over the country.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 8 July 2025
With the serve becoming increasingly influential in the current game, the records being broken today will likely be surpassed again in the next decade.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
-
Whereas serif fonts feel authoritative and timeless, sans serif fonts can feel modern or informal.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Ralphs’ tasteful, authoritative and often-underrated guitar work and songwriting acumen were a trademark of both bands across the 1970s.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
One of the most powerful moments of the night was the Waiting to Exhale tribute, beautifully curated by Adam Blackstone.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 July 2025
-
This Summer Personal branding is one of the most powerful ways to reach your goals.—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Yes, even more important than excellence in math and science.—
Linda McMahon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 July 2025
-
How to spot a fake Social Security scam email While phishing emails are designed to look convincing, there are always subtle but important signs that give them away.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
While some savings are available to those without a Prime account, the best of these great deals and most significant discounts (as well as the fastest shipping times) are usually reserved for Prime members.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
9 July 2025
-
The Rise of Indian Single Malt Whisky The launch of Amrut Fusion in 2009 marked a significant milestone.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Vaez says Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a dominant, multipronged military force — may see this as an opportunity for change.—
Jackie Northam,
NPR,
9 July 2025
-
Musk’s presence on X has been so dominant that some users may have forgotten that Yaccarino was technically the CEO.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
-
According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share