influencer

noun

in·​flu·​enc·​er ˈin-ˌflü-ən(t)-sər How to pronounce influencer (audio)
 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
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 So— Lauren Goode: This is great, this whole career for you as a hustler, influencer on TikTok. Lauren Goode Michael Calore, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Online influencer Andrew Tate was detained in Romania and delivered an arrest warrant from British authorities, his spokesperson said Tuesday. Landon Mion, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024 At Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada cast the actresses Kristin Scott Thomas, 63, and Ángela Molina, 68, but also Qin Huilan, 70, a Chinese doctor turned social media influencer from Shanghai. Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Paul, a digital influencer and wrestling pro, also has a talent deal to appear in WWE’s SmackDown. Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 The rapid expansion continues to increase opportunities for new and old influencers alike . Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 On Friday, the social media influencer, 30, walked in the Vetements Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show during Paris Fashion Week. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Applying this to influencer marketing involves scrutinizing influencer performance. Aurelie Sauthier, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The accuser is Sophie Hall, a social media influencer with more than two million followers on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'influencer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of influencer was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near influencer

Cite this Entry

“Influencer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/influencer. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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