Definition of influence
1a : an ethereal fluid held to flow from the stars and to affect the actions of humansb : an emanation of occult power held to derive from stars
2 : an emanation of spiritual or moral force
3a : the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of commandb : corrupt interference with authority for personal gain
4 : the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways : sway
5 : one that exerts influence
under the influence
: affected by alcohol or drug intoxication was arrested for driving under the influence
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Examples of influence in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples of influence from the Web
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Mr. Trump’s tendency to treat each leak as an attack rather than an attempt to influence policy has created an atmosphere in Washington of open institutional conflict.
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(Two officials said that at one recent meeting, there was talk of feeding suggested Twitter posts to the president so the council’s staff would have greater influence.)
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But even beyond the ban, executives and government officials expect Mr. Trump to be a disruptive influence on air travel.
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Martinez was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
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The stellar financial results come as Samsung faces an investigation linking it to an influence-peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
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As early as 2014, the Segye Ilbo newspaper reported on an intelligence document alleging influence-peddling by Ms. Choi’s family.
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State police in Connecticut said 51 people were arrested on driving-under-the-influence charges and troopers issued nearly 900 speeding tickets during a five-day increased enforcement effort around the Thanksgiving holiday.
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However, Mr. Christie’s influence in the Trump camp appears to be waning.
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.
The Surprising History of Influence and Its Modern Use
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.
Origin and Etymology of influence
Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin influentia, from Latin influent-, influens, present participle of influere to flow in, from in- + fluere to flow — more at fluid
First Known Use: 14th century
Synonym Discussion of influence
influence
Definition of influence
influenced
;influencing
transitive verb
1 : to affect or alter by indirect or intangible means
2 : to have an effect on the condition or development of
Examples of influence in a Sentence
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 of influence from the Web
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The finding represents the best evidence to date of how sizable taxes on sugary drinks, increasingly favored by large American cities, may influence consumer behavior.
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More recently, Mr. Trump’s election prompted an outcry over whether Facebook influenced the American electorate with false stories on its site.
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An impressive cast of younger artists influenced by Seurat arrive, some taking up his style: Pablo Picasso, Pierre Bonnard, Lucien Pissarro and the American Maurice Prendergast.
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The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election.
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The grounds of Sanssouci remained a country retreat for the Prussian court even after Frederick’s death, in 1786, and influenced themed architecture across the city.
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Trump also acknowledged Russia's role in hacking intended to influence the U.S. election.
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Critics say that could leave Trump vulnerable to foreign governments that could try to influence him by rewarding or punishing his business interests in their countries.
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Russian officials have denied the Obama administration’s accusation that the highest levels of the Russian government were involved in trying to influence the U.S. presidential election.
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.
1658
First Known Use of influence
1658
Synonym Discussion of influence
INFLUENCE Defined for English Language Learners
influence
playDefinition of influence for English Language Learners
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: the power to change or affect someone or something : the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen
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: a person or thing that affects someone or something in an important way
influence
Definition of influence for English Language Learners
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: to affect or change (someone or something) in an indirect but usually important way : to have an influence on (someone or something)
INFLUENCE Defined for Kids
Definition of influence for Students
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.
Definition of influence for Students
influenced
;influencing
: to affect or change in an indirect but usually important way I was influenced by my parents.
Law Dictionary
influence
Legal Definition of influence
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
influencer
noununder the influence
: affected by alcohol or another intoxicant was arrested for driving under the influence
influence
Legal Definition of influence
influenced
influencing
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
Learn More about influence
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for influence Spanish Central: Translation of influence Nglish: Translation of influence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of influence for Arabic speakers
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