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Definitions
Trivia Time
The earliest known use of influence in English referred to a flowing power coming from what?

influence

[in-floo-uhns] / ˈɪn flu əns /




Usage

What are other ways to say influence? Influence is a personal and unofficial power derived from deference of others to one's character, ability, or station; it may be exerted unconsciously or may operate through persuasion: to have influence over one's friends. Authority is a power or right, usually because of rank or office, to issue commands and to punish for violations: to have authority over subordinates. Control is either power or influence applied to the complete and successful direction or manipulation of persons or things: to be in control of a project. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Still, with a buyout looming over the company’s head and its largest investor grumbling, it’s hard to see cost-cutting measures as entirely free from the influence of private equity firms.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

“Thus, the prices of gas, which you see posted on the side of the road almost every day, can have a stronger influence on how consumers view the rest of the economy overall.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Financials account for just over half of the S&P GCC Composite Domestic Index, giving the sector an outsized influence on regional equity performance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

The office of the First Lady Melania Trump, which planned the event, said the dinner menu would showcase "American ingredients with subtle Chinese influence".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The two youngest sisters progressed from bouncing apples to fooling the world under Leah’s influence.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

It helps drive stellar winds, influences how massive stars evolve and plays an important role in the processes leading to their eventual supernova explosions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

WSJ spoke with Foley about her influences, how she approached the project and what it was like to get the signoff from Christie’s estate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

"I think we're forced to feel more American simply by the influences that we have," Stainton added.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Wedekind and Kafka would seem to be bigger influences than Beckett and Ionesco.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Over the centuries that followed, there were two key influences on the way rhetoric developed: Christianity and the written word.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Here are five charts and tables demonstrating rising prices influenced Americans’ budgets:

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Your Miss Marple was influenced by your own grandmother.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Looks and physical attractiveness have influenced American politics since the widespread adoption of television, and Ossoff isn’t the first or the only political candidate the internet has thirsted over.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Intriguingly it might be influenced, at least to some extent, by your ancestry.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The trajectories of so many people had influenced hers along the way: Dorothy Vaughan and the women of West Computing.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

While many of them appear to be extensive and organised, it is hard to determine how widely they have spread or how significant a role they have played in actually influencing people.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Access to electricity is increasingly influencing development timelines, site selection and project viability in Japan, the rating company says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Isabel Wang explained how the global oil market has become the most important factor influencing the stock and bond markets.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

The second bill aims to bar private investors from influencing a case — for example, telling a lawyer how many clients to take on or when to settle — in lawsuits they fund.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Perhaps Gaia was whispering in Octavian’s ear, influencing his decisions subconsciously.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan




Vocabulary lists containing influence


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