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
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Recent Examples of influential
In the early 1900s, journalism, the muckrakers, became highly influential, raising awareness about many social ills, including child labor, unsafe working conditions and unsanitary food processing.
—
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Those polled also said buzz from friends/family was influential (15%) as well as the in-theater trailer (14%).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 June 2025
No other program has been as influential in terms of both the types of shows being made and when they were shown.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 31 May 2025
But Means has attracted scrutiny from health professionals over her background and the ire from some on the far-right including activist Laura Loomer, an influential voice for Trump.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Those polled also said buzz from friends/family was influential (15%) as well as the in-theater trailer (14%).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 June 2025
No other program has been as influential in terms of both the types of shows being made and when they were shown.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 31 May 2025
But Means has attracted scrutiny from health professionals over her background and the ire from some on the far-right including activist Laura Loomer, an influential voice for Trump.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
-
The most authoritative research on the risk to California was conducted in 2015, but little has changed in the past decade.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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In fact, their literature review suggests that many dog owners naturally fall into parenting patterns that largely mirror those of actual parents: permissive, authoritarian or authoritative.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Read More: Lee Jae-myung Aims to Steer South Korea Through Crisis A populist shaped by his years as a labor and human rights lawyer, Lee has long advocated for a stronger state role in redistributing economic gains and curbing the excesses of South Korea’s powerful conglomerates.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
3 June 2025
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With over 350 works spanning 10 centuries, ‘Kings and Queens of Africa’ is a powerful tribute to the continent’s enduring artistic and cultural legacy.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
The intelligence teams gather during interviews preceding testing is just as important, if not more so.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The storms have brought significant thunder and lightning but generally have been accompanied by light rainfall, a tenth of an inch or less.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
-
Uzbekistan is making significant progress toward World Trade Organization accession (a game changer for its international trade aspirations), and its digital economy, underpinned by compelling tax and regulatory incentives, is achieving exponential growth.—
Djasur Djumaev,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Junior pitcher Kayla Schweich, a St. Cloud State commit, has been dominant in the circle for much of the year for Farmington, with Lexi Goring and Wisconsin commit Lila Johannsen filling out a lethal top of the order.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
2 June 2025
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Edmonton has been just as dominant through the playoffs, coming back to beat Los Angeles in the first round before dispatching Vegas and Dallas.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
-
According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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