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

One of the original first influencers, now counting 28 million followers, Ferragni over the years piled up modeling contracts with the likes of Pantene, hairstyling products company GHD, Lancôme, Pomellato, Bulgari, Hublot, Oreo and Nespresso. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 21 Jan. 2026

Amir Bar-Lev’s film is not just about climbing but about influencer culture and how that has resulted in some climbers getting killed. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026

The platform, slated to launch later this year, is modeled after resale platforms like Depop, but built for influencers to share with their followers. —Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

Veteran detective Chen Chia-jen becomes an online target after a fatal confrontation with a famous influencer. —Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 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