influence

noun

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in·flu·ence | \ ˈin-ˌflü-ən(t)s

, especially Southern in-ˈflü- \

plural influences

Definition of influence

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways : sway

2a : the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command

b : corrupt interference with authority for personal gain

3 : one that exerts influence

4 : an emanation of spiritual or moral force

5a : an ethereal fluid held to flow from the stars and to affect the actions of humans

b : an emanation of occult power held to derive from stars

under the influence

: affected by alcohol or drug intoxication was arrested for driving under the influence

influence

verb

influenced; influencing

Definition of influence (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to affect or alter by indirect or intangible means She attempted to influence his decision. greatly influenced by my parents

2 : to have an effect on the condition or development of Productivity was influenced by worker satisfaction.

Other Words from influence Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Surprising History of Influence and Its Modern Use More Example Sentences Learn More about influence

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Other Words from influence

Verb

influenceable \ ˈin-ˌflü-ən(t)-sə-bəl

\ adjective

In the situation where performance measures are not seen as influenceable, there is little chance of the person seeing a connection between his effort and his rewards. — Lyman W. Porter et al.

Synonyms for influence

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Choose the Right Synonym for influence

Noun

influence, authority, prestige, weight, credit mean power exerted over the minds or behavior of others. influence may apply to a force exercised and received consciously or unconsciously. used her influence to get the bill passed authority implies the power of winning devotion or allegiance or of compelling acceptance and belief. his opinions lacked authority prestige implies the ascendancy given by conspicuous excellence or reputation for superiority. the prestige of the newspaper weight implies measurable or decisive influence in determining acts or choices. their wishes obviously carried much weight credit suggests influence that arises from the confidence of others. his credit with the press

Verb

affect, influence, touch, impress, strike, sway mean to produce or have an effect upon. affect implies the action of a stimulus that can produce a response or reaction. the sight affected her to tears influence implies a force that brings about a change (as in nature or behavior). our beliefs are influenced by our upbringing touch may carry a vivid suggestion of close contact and may connote stirring, arousing, or harming. plants touched by frost his emotions were touched by her distress impress stresses the depth and persistence of the effect. only one of the plans impressed him strike, similar to but weaker than impress, may convey the notion of sudden sharp perception or appreciation. struck by the solemnity of the occasion sway implies the acting of influences that are not resisted or are irresistible, with resulting change in character or course of action. politicians who are swayed by popular opinion

The Surprising History of Influence and Its Modern Use

Noun

Influence may seem like a ho-hum word, but its history is heavenly.

The word first referred to a celestial fluid that was believed to flow from the stars. As this fluid reached the Earth, it supposedly affected the actions of the planet's inhabitants—especially the human ones. (The word influenza has the same origin: the Medieval Latin word influentia. It was for a time believed that epidemics were caused by unusual conjunctions of the planets.)

In modern use, the noun typically refers to the power to change or affect someone or something—especially the power to cause changes without directly forcing those changes to happen. Influence can also refer to a person or thing that affects someone or something in an important way.

The noun had been in use for more than 200 years before the verb use developed. As a verb, influence typically means "to affect or change someone or something in an indirect but usually important way." Something or someone that influences a person or thing, then, has an influence on that person or thing.

Examples of influence in a Sentence

Noun Recent years have seen a decline in the company's influence within the industry. Her ideas have gradually gained influence in the company. He used his influence to reform the company's policies. She has remained under the influence of her parents. She claims that her personal problems played no influence upon her decision to resign. His health problems may have had some influence on his decision. Her parents still have a great deal of influence over her. The chairman wields considerable influence over the board's decisions. Her parents are concerned that her new friends may have a bad influence on her. Emily Dickinson has had a major influence on his poetry. Verb I was deeply influenced by my parents. She claims that her decision to resign was not influenced by her personal problems. No one knows how this decision will influence the outcome of the election. He's accused of illegally attempting to influence the jury.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But neither clan comes close to the influence of the Chamorros over the past 150 years. — The Economist, "Chamorro tomorrow? A family of six Nicaraguan presidents looks to provide a seventh," 31 Mar. 2021 It’s a thought-provoking article about the influence of billionaires and our complex feelings about them. — New York Times, "Why Amazon’s Union Vote Matters," 31 Mar. 2021 Karol’s musical lineage, and that of reggaeton, leans heavily on the influence of Black people in the Caribbean; yet save for Ozuna, reggaeton’s most popular artists are non-Black Latinos. — Los Angeles Times, "In a Latin genre dominated by men, reggaeton ‘bichota’ Karol G takes aim at the top," 29 Mar. 2021 The changes that Abu Dhabi is making will erode the influence of cartel leader Saudi Arabia over time, Philip Verleger, an energy economist and president of PKVerleger LLC, said. — Joe Wallace, WSJ, "New Mideast Crude Contract May Test OPEC’s Grip on Oil," 29 Mar. 2021 The influence of quarantine really comes through in the official music video, which sees a shadowy figure explore the strangeness of our year via web articles and broadcasts. — Katie Bain, Billboard, "First Spin: The Week's Best New Dance Tracks From Jungle, Zhu, Elkka, Floating Points & More," 26 Mar. 2021 The powerful influence of neighborhoods upon life outcomes is now well-recognized. — Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, "Joe Biden wants to make college free. Denmark shows that won’t be enough," 26 Mar. 2021 In the ideal scenario, the joint influence of the Twins and other affected teams and sports would pressure Sinclair to lower its fees to a level the streaming services would agree to pay. — Editorial Board, Star Tribune, "Twins games and the cord-cutter's quandary," 25 Mar. 2021 And even with a return to more in-store shopping, the growing influence of ecommerce has pushed stores to think more about delivery. — NBC News, "Stimulus checks in hand, consumers are ready to shop. But are retailers ready for the influx?," 22 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Russian officials have repeatedly denied any effort to influence the outcome of U.S. elections. — Jessica Donati, WSJ, "Russia Recalls Its Ambassador to the U.S. for Consultations," 17 Mar. 2021 Despite Biden indirectly mentioning the election, Tuberville said the president was still trying to influence the outcome. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, "Tuberville: Biden should stay out of Amazon Alabama union dispute," 5 Mar. 2021 On February 10, the District Attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, launched an election fraud and racketeering investigation into Mr. Trump's attempts to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. — Graham Kates, CBS News, "Supreme Court rejects Trump effort to block Manhattan prosecutors from getting tax records," 22 Feb. 2021 Facebook has bragged about its ability to influence the outcome of elections. — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, "Facebook Is a Doomsday Machine," 15 Dec. 2020 Navarro used media appearances and social media in an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential contest, in violation of the Hatch Act, according to a report released Monday by the government agency. — Justin Blum, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Adviser Peter Navarro Accused of Using Post to Sway 2020 Race," 7 Dec. 2020 An Economist/YouGov poll released this week said 78% of Republicans believed there was enough fraud to influence the outcome of the election. — Los Angeles Times, "Trump, still out of sight, focuses on his own future as pandemic worsens," 12 Nov. 2020 More than $120 million was spent by both candidates and outside groups to influence the outcome. — chicagotribune.com, "Maine Senate election: Republican Susan Collins wins reelection," 4 Nov. 2020 As co-founder, Salzman is accused of being part of the organization’s criminal enterprise, specifically, she was accused of identity theft and altering records to influence the outcome of a civil lawsuit against the organisation, reports the NYT. — Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "Every Major Player From The New HBO NXIVM Docuseries The Vow, Explained," 22 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'influence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

5 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Influence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/influence. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for influence

influence

noun

English Language Learners Definition of influence

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the power to change or affect someone or something : the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen

: a person or thing that affects someone or something in an important way

influence

verb

English Language Learners Definition of influence (Entry 2 of 2)

: to affect or change (someone or something) in an indirect but usually important way : to have an influence on (someone or something)

See the full definition for influence in the English Language Learners Dictionary

influence

noun

in·flu·ence | \ ˈin-ˌflü-əns

Kids Definition of influence

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the act or power of causing an effect or change without use of direct force or authority You could move to some other part of Mexico, but … Luis's influence is far-reaching.— Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising

2 : a person or thing that has an indirect but usually important effect She's a bad influence on him.

influence

verb

influenced; influencing

Kids Definition of influence (Entry 2 of 2)

: to affect or change in an indirect but usually important way I was influenced by my parents.

influence

noun

in·flu·ence

Legal Definition of influence

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the act or power of producing an effect without any apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command

b : corrupt interference with authority for personal gain

2 : the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways

3 : one that exerts influence

under the influence

: affected by alcohol or another intoxicant was arrested for driving under the influence

influence

transitive verb

influenced; influencing

Legal Definition of influence (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to alter or affect by indirect or intangible means the exemption would allow a conglomerate that owns both a media business and an unrelated business to influence or control the media — Citizens United v. Federal Election Comm'n, 130 S. Ct. 876 (2010)

2 : to have an effect on the condition or development of

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