influential

1 of 2

adjective

in·​flu·​en·​tial ˌin-(ˌ)flü-ˈen(t)-shəl 

: exerting or possessing influence

influentially

ˌin-(ˌ)flü-ˈen(t)-sh(ə-)lē 

adverb

influential

2 of 2

noun

: one who has great influence

Synonyms of influential

Adjective

• authoritative
• important
• dominant

Examples of influential in a Sentence

Adjective

His theories have become more influential in recent years.

My parents have been the most influential people in my life.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Two out of every three stocks within the S&P 500 rose Thursday, only to get drowned out by the drops for more influential tech stocks. — Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

An influential nationalist group close to the ruling party went further, demanding that Starlink be kept out of India altogether, citing national security concerns. — Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Noun

One company who might have some answers is The Set Up, the new indie production house that Colin From Accounts commissioner Alison Hurbert-Burns has just set up with Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky’s influential Made Up Stories. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

That’s not to say other judges won’t find the ruling influential, but it’s already been shown that a ruling for an athlete on eligibility doesn’t guarantee a different athlete’s success in another state. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1831, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for influential

• credential
• prudential
• sequential
• tangential
• torrential
• circumferential
• inconsequential
• consequential
• deferential
• existential
• exponential
• nonessential

Kids Definition

influential

adjective

in·​flu·​en·​tial

ˌin-(ˌ)flü-ˈen-chəl

: having influence

influentially

-ˈench-(ə-)lē

adverb