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

Richards says she's found support and community with other women with alopecia in online forums like Reddit – including hair loss influencers. —Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 23 Nov. 2025

If your teenager—especially your teen boy—is using mogging to compare themselves to their peers or influencers, and changes their appearance or personality to imitate those people, the pressure to 'mog' might be harming their self-esteem. —Sherri Gordon, Parents, 22 Nov. 2025

Other examples include social media influencer and Youtuber Logan Paul who has around 27 million followers on Instagram and 23 million subscribers on YouTube. —Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025

Not everyone is thrilled with BookTok influencer deals But those early days after the book deal announcement were dark, Bateman says. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025

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