1
as in authoritative
having power over the minds or behavior of others
in light of the effect that they have had, religious leaders such as Jesus and Muḥammad must be regarded as among the most influential people ever
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerful
having great power or influence
a particularly influential politician got the team a new ballpark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of influential
This approach, which Schmidt revealed during a recent interview on The Gstaad Guy Podcast hosted by Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, traces back to his mentorship by the late great Bill Campbell, legendary coach to tech’s most influential leaders.
—
Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
The event celebrates the third annual TIME100 AI list, which highlights the 100 most influential people in AI.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The red carpet and awards ceremony celebrates footwear’s influential style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans.
—Katie Abel, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
These festival haven’t just proven predictive over which films receive Academy Award nominations, but actually influential.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
The event celebrates the third annual TIME100 AI list, which highlights the 100 most influential people in AI.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The red carpet and awards ceremony celebrates footwear’s influential style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans.
—Katie Abel, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
These festival haven’t just proven predictive over which films receive Academy Award nominations, but actually influential.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
-
But having the goods to back up your inflammatory beliefs is hardly the point of Grokipedia, a platform simply meant to appear authoritative in its own right.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Brown, after an authoritative start to the fourth quarter, went quiet down the stretch, scoring just two points in the final five minutes and missing his last three shots.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Day Vacuum Deals Refreshing your space should always start with a deep cleaning, which requires a powerful vacuum.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Vinicius Jr ranks as the fourth-fastest player in La Liga per SkillCorner’s PSV-99 metric so far this season, while both Federico Valverde and Alvaro Carreras are powerful off-ball runners out wide.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Oceans 11 star said that being in such close proximity to major stars taught him an important lesson early in his career.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
For Arsenal, consistency of performances and results is so important to Arteta, with the 43-year-old often highlighting its significance in building them back to being one of Europe’s elite sides.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s a significant contrast to other parts of the Forbidden City, marked by wide open spaces intended to represent the grandeur of imperial power and territory.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
This development poses potentially significant implications for American travelers and the airline industry dependent on reliable air transportation.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The first indication that dark energy may not be as dominant as previously thought emerged courtesy of the first results from DESI in Spring 2024.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
While Kalshi and Polymarket remain the dominant players, other challengers are emerging.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Smith said Thursday in a news release that Stubblefield leaves behind a legacy of strong, principled leadership.—
Ella McCarthy,
Arkansas Online,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Toklas went on to fiercely uphold the author’s legacy, honoring Stein’s apparent desire to be understood while at the same time respecting her equally strong wish to remain elusive.—
Daphne Merkin,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share