sphere of influence

noun phrase

: a territorial area within which the political influence or the interests of one nation are held to be more or less paramount

Examples of sphere of influence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than compete head-on for the affluent global cloud market, China is building a parallel sphere of influence through the Digital Silk Road, the technology arm of the Belt and Road Initiative. — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

What’s happening today in some way resembles the period before the First World War, with pressure building at the fault lines between the big powers’ spheres of influence. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

This would feed into China’s anti-access/area-denial strategy within its sphere of influence. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026

Although China was never fully colonized, parts of the region came under foreign spheres of influence, especially from the British Empire, which directed the profitable trade of opium from India to China during the 19th century. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above