influencer

noun

in·​flu·​enc·​er ˈin-ˌflü-ən(t)-sər 

especially Southern in-ˈflü-

plural influencers

: one who exerts influence : a person who inspires or guides the actions of others

The old theme of laziness and mellowness runs counter to today's influencers, who are businesspeople and upscale inspirational promoters of a go-getter way of life.

—John C. Dvorak

often, specifically : a person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media

An influencer can write a holiday recipe, sponsored by a food brand, and that content and the associated brand awareness will still resonate with audiences in a year's time.

—Danielle Wiley

While Linh and other elite influencers are usually personally invited by hotel brands, an onslaught of lesser-known wannabes has left hotels scrambling to deal with a deluge of requests for all-expense-paid vacations in exchange for some social media posts.

—Taylor Lorenz

The woman who's been called the "future of fashion" has advice for aspiring Instagram influencers: Stop with the staged photos posing with croissants or balloons against a beautiful backdrop.

—Alix Langone

Examples of influencer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In an interview with WWD, Bénédicte Epinay, chief executive officer of Comité Colbert, explains why New York will be the only stop for the exhibition, how French luxury brands are switching their focus from tariffs to dupes, and why King Louis XIV was the original influencer. —Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 26 May 2026

Indeed, these guards would later impede the process of careful documentation — providing inconsistent access to researchers and journalists, for example, even as social media influencers, fame-hunters and adventurers were permitted to pass through freely. —Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026

Carusillo just experienced a media cancellation of sorts, a consequence of blithely recommending a beauty treatment in one of her articles that ended up putting influencers in the hospital. —Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026

That sensory framework appears throughout FOAM’s services, which include experiential marketing, creative strategy, event production, digital campaigns, influencer partnerships, content creation, and luxury activations. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

influencer

noun

in·​flu·​enc·​er

: one who exerts influence : a person who inspires or guides the actions of others