The definition of the word influence

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English influence, from Old French influence (emanation from the stars affecting one’s fate), from Medieval Latin īnfluentia, from Latin īnfluēns (flowing in), present active participle of īnfluō (flow into), from in- (in-) + fluō (flow). Doublet of influenza.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈɪn.flu.əns/
  • Hyphenation: in‧flu‧ence

Noun[edit]

influence (countable and uncountable, plural influences)

  1. The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.
    • 2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26:

      The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives. And, as their ubiquity spreads, so too does the debate around whether we should allow ourselves to become so reliant on them – and who, if anyone, is policing their use.

    I have absolutely no influence over him.

  2. An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change.

    I’m not able to exercise influence over him.

    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Terra Firma Party Codex entry:

      Terra Firma is an Alliance political party formed after the First Contact War. Its policy agenda is based on the principle that Earth must ‘stand firm’ against alien influences. This covers a variety of legislation. Recent activities by Terra Firma include opposition to a law requiring high school alien language study, a proposal to increase tariffs on alien imports, and leading a popular movement to mark the First Contact War with a public holiday.

  3. A person or thing exerting such power or action.
    • The animals were thoroughly frightened. It seemed to them as though Snowball were some kind of invisible influence, pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers.

    He has been a great influence on the voters during the elections.

  4. (astrology) An element believed to determine someone’s character or individual tendencies, caused by the position of the stars and planets at the time of one’s birth.
  5. (obsolete) The action of flowing in; influx.
    • God hath his influence into the very essence of all things.
  6. (electricity) Electrostatic induction.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Adjectives often applied to «influence»: cultural, political, social, economic, military, personal, moral, intellectual, mental, good, bad, positive, negative, beneficial, harmful, huge, big, heavy, significant, important, potential, actual, primary.

Hyponyms[edit]

  • social influence

Derived terms[edit]

  • influencer

[edit]

  • inflood
  • inflow
  • influent
  • influential
  • influentially
  • sphere of influence
  • under the influence

Translations[edit]

power to affect, control or manipulate

  • Albanian: ndikim (sq) m
  • Arabic: نَفُوذ‎ m (nafūḏ), تَأْثِير‎ m (taʔṯīr)
  • Armenian: ազդեցություն (hy) (azdecʿutʿyun)
  • Azerbaijani: nüfuz (az), təsir (az)
  • Bashkir: йоғонто (yoğonto)
  • Basque: eragin
  • Belarusian: уплы́ў m (uplýŭ), ўплыў m (ŭplyŭ)
  • Breton: levezon (br) f
  • Bulgarian: влия́ние (bg) n (vlijánie), възде́йствие (bg) n (vǎzdéjstvie)
  • Burmese: လွှမ်းမိုးမှု (hlwam:mui:hmu.)
  • Catalan: influència (ca) f
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 影響影响 (jing2 hoeng2)
    Mandarin: 影響影响 (zh) (yǐngxiǎng)
  • Czech: vliv (cs) m
  • Danish: indflydelse c
  • Dutch: invloed (nl) m, impact (nl) m
  • Esperanto: influo
  • Estonian: mõju
  • Finnish: vaikutus (fi), vaikutusvalta (fi)
  • French: influence (fr) f
  • Galician: influencia (gl) f
  • Georgian: გავლენა (gavlena), ზეგავლენა (zegavlena)
  • German: Einfluss (de) m
  • Greek: επιρροή (el) f (epirroḯ)
    Ancient: δύναμις m (dúnamis)
  • Hebrew: הַשְׁפָּעָה (he) f (hashpa’á)
  • Hindi: प्रभाव (hi) m (prabhāv), असर (hi) m (asar)
  • Hungarian: befolyás (hu)
  • Icelandic: áhrif (is) n
  • Indonesian: pengaruh (id)
  • Irish: tionchar m
  • Italian: influenza (it) f, ascendente (it) m
  • Japanese: 影響力 (ja) (えいきょうりょく, eikyōryoku), 影響 (ja) (えいきょう, eikyō)
  • Kazakh: әсер (kk) (äser), ықпал (yqpal)
  • Khmer: ឥទ្ធិពល (ʼətthipŭəl)
  • Korean: 영향력(影響力) (ko) (yeonghyangnyeok), 영향(影響) (ko) (yeonghyang)
  • Kurdish:
    Northern Kurdish: tesîr (ku)
  • Kyrgyz: таасир (ky) (taasir)
  • Lao: ອິດທິພົນ (ʼit thi phon)
  • Latin: auctōritās f
  • Latvian: ietekme f, iedarbība, iedarbe f
  • Lithuanian: įtaka f
  • Macedonian: влијание n (vlijanie)
  • Malagasy: fianjadiana (mg)
  • Malay: pengaruh
  • Malayalam: സ്വാധീനം (ml) (svādhīnaṃ)
  • Maori: awe, aweawe, awenga
  • Mongolian:
    Cyrillic: нөлөө (mn) (nölöö)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: innflytelse (no) m
  • Pashto: نفوذ (ps) m (nofūz)
  • Persian: نفوذ (fa) (nofuz), تأثیر (fa) (ta’sir)
  • Polish: wpływ (pl) m
  • Portuguese: influência (pt) f
  • Romanian: influență (ro) f
  • Russian: влия́ние (ru) n (vlijánije), влия́тельность (ru) n (vlijátelʹnostʹ), возде́йствие (ru) n (vozdéjstvije)
  • Scottish Gaelic: cumhachd m or f
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: у̏тјеца̄ј m, у̏тица̄ј m
    Roman: ȕtjecāj (sh) m, ȕticāj (sh) m
  • Slovak: vplyv m
  • Slovene: vpliv m
  • Sorbian:
    Lower Sorbian: wliw m
    Upper Sorbian: wliw
  • Spanish: influencia (es) f
  • Swahili: please add this translation if you can
  • Swedish: inflytande (sv) n
  • Tagalog: impluwensiya
  • Tajik: нуфуз (nufuz), таъсир (tg) (taʾsir)
  • Tatar: тәэсир (tt) (täesir), йогынты (tt) (yoğıntı)
  • Thai: อิทธิพล (th) (ìt-tí-pon)
  • Turkish: nüfuz (tr), tesir (tr)
  • Turkmen: täsir
  • Ukrainian: вплив m (vplyv), упли́в m (uplýv)
  • Urdu: اَثَر (ur) m (asar)
  • Uyghur: تەسىر(tesir)
  • Uzbek: taʼsir (uz), taʻsir qilish, nufuz (uz)
  • Vietnamese: ảnh hưởng (vi) (影響)
  • Volapük: flun (vo)
  • Welsh: please add this translation if you can

action exerted by a person or thing with power to cause change

  • Arabic: تَأْثِير‎ m (taʔṯīr)
  • Bulgarian: възде́йствие (bg) n (vǎzdéjstvie)
  • Catalan: influència (ca) f
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 影響影响 (zh) (yǐngxiǎng)
  • Dutch: invloed (nl), beïnvloeding (nl)
  • Finnish: vaikutus (fi)
  • French: influence (fr) f
  • Galician: influencia (gl) f
  • Georgian: გავლენა (gavlena)
  • German: Beeinflussung (de) f
  • Greek: επιρροή (el) f (epirroḯ), επήρεια (el) f (epíreia)
  • Hebrew: הַשְׁפָּעָה (he) f (hashpa’á)
  • Indonesian: pengaruh (id), dampak (id)
  • Italian: influenza (it) f
  • Japanese: 影響 (ja) (えいきょう, eikyō)
  • Korean: 영향(影響) (ko) (yeonghyang)
  • Malay: pengaruh
  • Malayalam: സ്വാധീനം (ml) (svādhīnaṃ)
  • Maori: kawekawenga, kawekawe, awenga
  • Polish: wpływ (pl) m
  • Portuguese: influência (pt) f
  • Romanian: influențare (ro) f, influență (ro) f
  • Russian: влия́ние (ru) n (vlijánije), де́йствие (ru) n (déjstvije), возде́йствие (ru) n (vozdéjstvije)
  • Slovene: vpliv m
  • Spanish: influencia (es) f
  • Swedish: påverkan (sv) c
  • Tagalog: impluwensiya
  • Turkish: etki (tr)
  • Ukrainian: вплив m (vplyv), упли́в m (uplýv), впливання n (vplyvannja)
  • Yiddish: השפּעה‎ f (hashpoe), באַאײַנפֿלוסונג‎ f (baaynflusung)

person or thing exerting such power or action

  • Catalan: influència (ca) f
  • Dutch: invloed (nl)
  • Finnish: vaikuttaja (fi)
  • Galician: influencia (gl) f
  • German: Einfluss (de) m, Beeinflusser m
  • Greek: επιρροή (el) f (epirroḯ)
  • Irish: tionchar m
  • Japanese: 有力者 (ゆうりょくしゃ, yūryokusha)
  • Malay: pengaruh
  • Portuguese: influência (pt) f
  • Romanian: influențător m or n
  • Slovene: vpliv m
  • Sorbian:
    Lower Sorbian: wliw m
  • Spanish: influencia (es) f
  • Swedish: inflytande (sv) n
  • Vietnamese: ảnh hưởng (vi)

action of flowing in; influx see influx

electrostatic induction

  • Bulgarian: инду́кция (bg) f (indúkcija)
  • Dutch: inductie (nl)
  • Finnish: sähköstaattinen induktio
  • Greek: επιρροή (el) f (epirroḯ)
  • Polish: indukcja (pl) f
  • Romanian: inducție (ro) f, influență (ro)
  • Russian: инду́кция (ru) f (indúkcija)

Verb[edit]

influence (third-person singular simple present influences, present participle influencing, simple past and past participle influenced)

  1. (transitive) To have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to persuade or induce.
    The politician wants to influence the public.
    I must admit that this book influenced my outlook on life.
  2. (intransitive) To exert, make use of one’s influence.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To cause to flow in or into; infuse; instill.

Derived terms[edit]

  • influenceable
  • influencer
  • influencive

[edit]

  • influent
  • influential
  • influenza, flu

Translations[edit]

transitive: to exert an influence upon

  • Arabic: أَثَّرَ (ar) (ʔaṯṯara)
  • Belarusian: уплыва́ць impf (uplyvácʹ)
  • Bulgarian: влия́я (bg) impf (vlijája)
  • Burmese: လွှမ်းမိုး (my) (hlwam:mui:)
  • Catalan: influenciar (ca), influir (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 影響影响 (zh) (yǐngxiǎng)
  • Czech: ovlivňovat (cs) impf, ovlivnit (cs) pf
  • Danish: påvirke
  • Dutch: beïnvloeden (nl)
  • Esperanto: influi
  • Finnish: vaikuttaa (fi)
  • French: influencer (fr), influer (fr)
  • Georgian: გავლენა (gavlena)
  • German: beeinflussen (de)
  • Greek: επηρεάζω (el) (epireázo)
  • Hungarian: befolyásol (hu)
  • Interlingua: influentiar
  • Italian: influenzare (it)
  • Japanese: 影響する (ja) (えいきょうする, eikyō suru)
  • Kalmyk: үлмәлх (ülmälh)
  • Korean: 영향을 미치다 (yeonghyang’eul michida)
  • Macedonian: влијае impf (vlijae)
  • Latin: afficio (la)
  • Malayalam: സ്വാധീനിക്കുക (ml) (svādhīnikkuka)
  • Maori: kawe, kawekawe, whakaawe, whakaaweawe
  • Occitan: influir (oc)
  • Polish: wpływać (pl) impf, wpłynąć (pl) pf, oddziaływać (pl)
  • Portuguese: influenciar (pt), influir (pt)
  • Romanian: influența (ro), înrâuri (ro)
  • Russian: влия́ть (ru) impf (vlijátʹ), повлия́ть (ru) pf (povlijátʹ)
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: у̀тицати impf (Bosnian, Serbian), у̀тјецати impf (Croatian)
    Roman: ùticati (sh) impf (Bosnian, Serbian), ùtjecati (sh) impf (Croatian)
  • Slovak: ovplyvňovať impf, ovplyvniť pf
  • Slovene: vplivati impf
  • Spanish: influir (es), influenciar (es)
  • Swedish: påverka (sv), influera (sv)
  • Ukrainian: вплива́ти impf (vplyváty), впли́нути pf (vplýnuty)
  • Vietnamese: ảnh hưởng (vi)
  • Volapük: flunön (vo)
  • Yiddish: באַאײַנפֿלוסן(baaynflusn)

intransitive: to exert influence

  • Belarusian: уплыва́ць impf (uplyvácʹ)
  • Bulgarian: въздействам (bg) (vǎzdejstvam)
  • Catalan: influir (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 影響影响 (zh) (yǐngxiǎng)
  • Dutch: invloed uitoefenen
  • Finnish: vaikuttaa (fi)
  • German: beeinflussen (de)
  • Greek: επηρεάζομαι (el) (epireázomai)
  • Hungarian: befolyásol (hu)
  • Italian: influire (it)
  • Polish: wpływać (pl)
  • Portuguese: influenciar (pt)
  • Russian: влия́ть (ru) impf (vlijátʹ), возде́йствовать (ru) impf (vozdéjstvovatʹ), де́йствовать (ru) impf (déjstvovatʹ)
  • Spanish: influir (es)
  • Swedish: påverka (sv), influera (sv)

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French influence, borrowed from Medieval Latin īnfluentia, from Latin īnfluēns (flowing in), present active participle of īnfluō (flow into), from in- (in-) + fluō (flow).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ɛ̃.fly.ɑ̃s/

Noun[edit]

influence f (plural influences)

  1. influence

Derived terms[edit]

  • sphère d’influence
  • trafic d’influence
  • zone d’influence

[edit]

  • influençable
  • influencer
  • influenceur
  • influenceuse
  • influent
  • influentiel
  • influenza
  • influer
  • influer à nouveau
  • réinfluer

Verb[edit]

influence

  1. inflection of influencer:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading[edit]

  • “influence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Old French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Medieval Latin īnfluentia, from Latin īnfluēns (flowing in), present active participle of īnfluō (flow into).

Noun[edit]

influence f (oblique plural influences, nominative singular influence, nominative plural influences)

  1. inundation; flooding; influx of water
  2. influence, especially viewed as a mystical force affecting one’s fate

    Par l’influance des estoiles

    By the influence of the stars

Descendants[edit]

  • English: influence
  • French: influence

References[edit]

  • Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (influence, supplement)

in·flu·ence

 (ĭn′flo͞o-əns)

n.

1. A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort: the pervasive influence that TV has on modern life; young people falling under the influence of a radical philosopher.

2. Power to sway or affect based on prestige, wealth, ability, or position: used her family’s influence to get the job.

3. A person who exerts such power: My parents considered my friend to be a bad influence on me.

4.

a. A determining factor believed by some to affect individual tendencies and characteristics understood to be caused by the positions of the stars and planets at the time of one’s birth.

b. Factors believed to be caused by the changing positions of the stars and planets in relation to their positions at the time of one’s birth.

tr.v. in·flu·enced, in·flu·enc·ing, in·flu·enc·es

1. To have an influence on (something); change: a news report that influenced the outcome of the election.

2. To change the behavior or thinking of (someone); sway: negative ads that are intended to influence voters.

Idiom:

under the influence

Intoxicated, especially with alcohol.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin īnfluentia, influx, from Latin īnfluēns, īnfluent-, present participle of īnfluere, to flow in : in-, in; see in-2 + fluere, to flow; see bhleu- in Indo-European roots.]


in′flu·ence·a·ble adj.

in′flu·enc·er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

influence

(ˈɪnflʊəns)

n

1. an effect of one person or thing on another

2. the power of a person or thing to have such an effect

3. power or sway resulting from ability, wealth, position, etc

4. a person or thing having influence

5. (Astrology) astrology an ethereal fluid or occult power regarded as emanating from the stars and affecting a person’s actions, future, etc

6. under the influence informal drunk

vb (tr)

7. to persuade or induce

8. to have an effect upon (actions, events, etc); affect

[C14: from Medieval Latin influentia emanation of power from the stars, from Latin influere to flow into, from fluere to flow]

ˈinfluenceable adj

ˈinfluencer n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•flu•ence

(ˈɪn flu əns)

n., v. -enced, -enc•ing. n.

1. the capacity or power of persons or things to produce effects on others by intangible or indirect means.

2. the action or process of producing such effects.

3. a person or thing that exerts influence.

4. the power to persuade or obtain advantages resulting from one’s status, wealth, position, etc.

5. Astrol.

a. the supposed radiation of an ethereal fluid from the stars, regarded as affecting human actions and destinies.

b. the exercise of occult power by the stars.

6. Obs. influx.

v.t.

7. to exercise influence on; affect.

8. to move or impel (a person) to some action.

Idioms:

under the influence, Law. less than drunk but with one’s nervous system impaired.

[1325–75; Middle English < Medieval Latin influentia stellar emanation]

in′flu•enc•er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

influence

1. used as a noun

You use influence as a noun to refer to the power that someone or something has to affect people’s behaviour or decisions.

His wife had a lot of influence.

His teachings still exert a strong influence.

If you want to mention the person or thing affected, you use on.

He was a bad influence on the children.

We shall be looking at the influence of religion on society.

Be Careful!
You do not use ‘influence’ to refer to a change or event that is the result of something. The word you use is effect.

The incident had a great effect on Serge. He was very shocked by it.

The intense heat had no effect on the spacecraft.

2. used as a verb

You can also use influence as a verb. You say that one person or thing influences another.

I didn’t want him to influence me in my choice.

There was little opportunity to influence foreign policy.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

influence

Past participle: influenced
Gerund: influencing

Imperative
influence
influence
Present
I influence
you influence
he/she/it influences
we influence
you influence
they influence
Preterite
I influenced
you influenced
he/she/it influenced
we influenced
you influenced
they influenced
Present Continuous
I am influencing
you are influencing
he/she/it is influencing
we are influencing
you are influencing
they are influencing
Present Perfect
I have influenced
you have influenced
he/she/it has influenced
we have influenced
you have influenced
they have influenced
Past Continuous
I was influencing
you were influencing
he/she/it was influencing
we were influencing
you were influencing
they were influencing
Past Perfect
I had influenced
you had influenced
he/she/it had influenced
we had influenced
you had influenced
they had influenced
Future
I will influence
you will influence
he/she/it will influence
we will influence
you will influence
they will influence
Future Perfect
I will have influenced
you will have influenced
he/she/it will have influenced
we will have influenced
you will have influenced
they will have influenced
Future Continuous
I will be influencing
you will be influencing
he/she/it will be influencing
we will be influencing
you will be influencing
they will be influencing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been influencing
you have been influencing
he/she/it has been influencing
we have been influencing
you have been influencing
they have been influencing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been influencing
you will have been influencing
he/she/it will have been influencing
we will have been influencing
you will have been influencing
they will have been influencing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been influencing
you had been influencing
he/she/it had been influencing
we had been influencing
you had been influencing
they had been influencing
Conditional
I would influence
you would influence
he/she/it would influence
we would influence
you would influence
they would influence
Past Conditional
I would have influenced
you would have influenced
he/she/it would have influenced
we would have influenced
you would have influenced
they would have influenced

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun 1. influence - a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etcinfluence — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc; «used her parents’ influence to get the job»

power, powerfulness — possession of controlling influence; «the deterrent power of nuclear weapons»; «the power of his love saved her»; «his powerfulness was concealed by a gentle facade»

dead hand of the past, mortmain, dead hand — the oppressive influence of past events or decisions

force — a powerful effect or influence; «the force of his eloquence easily persuaded them»

grasp, grip — an intellectual hold or understanding; «a good grip on French history»; «they kept a firm grip on the two top priorities»; «he was in the grip of a powerful emotion»; «a terrible power had her in its grasp»

2. influence — causing something without any direct or apparent effort

causation, causing — the act of causing something to happen

cross-pollination — stimulating influence among diverse elements; «the cross-pollination of the arts»

exposure — the act of subjecting someone to an influencing experience; «she denounced the exposure of children to pornography»

impingement, encroachment, impact — influencing strongly; «they resented the impingement of American values on European culture»

manipulation, use — exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one’s own advantage; «his manipulation of his friends was scandalous»

hypnotism, mesmerism, suggestion — the act of inducing hypnosis

enticement, temptation — the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire; «his enticements were shameless»

3. influence — a cognitive factor that tends to have an effect on what you do; «her wishes had a great influence on his thinking»

causal factor, determinant, determining factor, determinative, determiner — a determining or causal element or factor; «education is an important determinant of one’s outlook on life»

imponderable — a factor whose effects cannot be accurately assessed; «human behavior depends on many imponderables»

imprint — a distinctive influence; «English stills bears the imprint of the Norman invasion»

morale builder — something or someone who influences by building or strengthening morale

canker, pestilence — a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of; «racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation»; «according to him, I was the canker in their midst»

support — something providing immaterial assistance to a person or cause or interest; «the policy found little public support»; «his faith was all the support he needed»; «the team enjoyed the support of their fans»

enticement, temptation — something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

4. influence — the effect of one thing (or person) on another; «the influence of mechanical action»

consequence, effect, result, upshot, outcome, event, issue — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon; «the magnetic effect was greater when the rod was lengthwise»; «his decision had depressing consequences for business»; «he acted very wise after the event»

perturbation — (physics) a secondary influence on a system that causes it to deviate slightly

purchase — a means of exerting influence or gaining advantage; «he could get no purchase on the situation»

wind — a tendency or force that influences events; «the winds of change»

5. influence — one having power to influence another; «she was the most important influence in my life»; «he was a bad influence on the children»

power, force — one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority; «the mysterious presence of an evil power»; «may the force be with you»; «the forces of evil»

Verb 1. influence - have and exert influence or effectinfluence — have and exert influence or effect; «The artist’s work influenced the young painter»; «She worked on her friends to support the political candidate»

act upon, work

affect, bear upon, impact, bear on, touch on, touch — have an effect upon; «Will the new rules affect me?»

prejudice, prepossess — influence (somebody’s) opinion in advance

imprint, form — establish or impress firmly in the mind; «We imprint our ideas onto our children»

militate — have force or influence; bring about an effect or change; «Politeness militated against this opinion being expressed»

manipulate, pull strings, pull wires — influence or control shrewdly or deviously; «He manipulated public opinion in his favor»

colour, color — modify or bias; «His political ideas color his lectures»

swing over, swing — influence decisively; «This action swung many votes over to his side»

blackjack, blackmail, pressure — exert pressure on someone through threats

persuade, sway, carry — win approval or support for; «Carry all before one»; «His speech did not sway the voters»

get at — influence by corruption

fix — influence an event or its outcome by illegal means; «fix a race»

dominate — be in control; «Her husband completely dominates her»

2. influence — shape or influence; give direction to; «experience often determines ability»; «mold public opinion»

shape, determine, regulate, mold

dispose, incline — make receptive or willing towards an action or attitude or belief; «Their language inclines us to believe them»

disincline, indispose — make unwilling

miscreate — shape or form or make badly; «Our miscreated fantasies»

carry weight — have influence to a specified degree; «Her opinion carries a lot of weight»

decide — influence or determine; «The vote in New Hampshire often decides the outcome of the Presidential election»

reshape — shape anew or differently; «The new foreign minister reshaped the foreign policy of his country»

time — set the speed, duration, or execution of; «we time the process to manufacture our cars very precisely»

index — adjust through indexation; «The government indexes wages and prices»

pace — regulate or set the pace of; «Pace your efforts»

predetermine — determine beforehand

cause, do, make — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally; «cause a commotion»; «make a stir»; «cause an accident»

3. influence — induce into action by using one’s charm; «She charmed him into giving her all his money»

charm, tempt

persuade — cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody’s arm; «You can’t persuade me to buy this ugly vase!»

magnetise, mesmerise, mesmerize, spellbind, magnetize, bewitch — attract strongly, as if with a magnet; «She magnetized the audience with her tricks»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

influence

noun

1. control, power, authority, direction, command, domination, supremacy, mastery, ascendancy, mana (N.Z.) As he grew older, she had less influence and couldn’t control him.

2. power, force, authority, pull (informal), weight, strength, connections, importance, prestige, clout (informal), leverage, good offices They should continue to use their influence for the release of all hostages.

verb

1. affect, have an effect on, have an impact on, control, concern, direct, guide, impact on, modify, bear upon, impinge upon, act or work upon What you eat may influence your risk of getting cancer.

2. persuade, move, prompt, urge, counsel, induce, incline, dispose, arouse, sway, rouse, entice, coax, incite, instigate, predispose, impel, prevail upon The conference influenced us to launch the campaign.

3. carry weight with, cut any ice with (informal), pull strings with (informal), bring pressure to bear upon, make yourself felt with Her attempt to influence the Press rebounded.

under the influence drunk, tight (informal), smashed (slang), canned (slang), flying (slang), bombed (slang), stoned (slang), wasted (slang), loaded (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), hammered (slang), steaming (slang), wrecked (slang), soaked (informal), out of it (slang), plastered (slang), drunken, blitzed (slang), pissed (Brit., Austral., & N.Z. slang), lit up (slang), merry (Brit. informal), stewed (slang), pickled (informal), bladdered (slang), sloshed (slang), intoxicated, tipsy, maudlin, well-oiled (slang), legless (informal), paralytic (informal), tired and emotional (euphemistic), steamboats (Scot. slang), tiddly (slang, chiefly Brit.), off your face (slang), zonked (slang), blotto (slang), fuddled, inebriated, out to it (Austral. & N.Z. slang), tanked up (slang), bacchic, rat-arsed (taboo slang), Brahms and Liszt (slang), half seas over (informal), bevvied (dialect), babalas (S. African), fu’ (Scot.), pie-eyed (slang) He was charged with driving under the influence.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

influence

noun

1. The power or capacity to produce a desired result:

2. The power to produce an effect by indirect means:

3. The strong effect exerted by one person or thing on another:

verb

To have an impact on in a certain way:

The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

vlivovlivnitovlivňovat

indflydelsepåvirkepåvirkninginfluere

vaikutusvaikuttaavaikuttajavaikutusvalta

utjecajutjecati

befolyásbefolyásolrossz hatással van rá

áhrifáhrifavaldurhafa áhrif á

影響影響を与える

영향영향을 미치다

daryti įtakąįtakaįtakingaiįtakingas

ietekmeietekmēt

ugledvplivvplivati

inflytandepåverka

มีอิทธิพลอิทธิพล

ảnh hưởnggây ảnh hưởng

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

influence

[ˈɪnfluəns]

vt [+ person] → influencer; [+ situation, outcome, prospects, risk] → influencer; [+ decision, choice] → influencer
to influence sb to do sth → inciter qn à faire qch
to influence sb in a decision → influencer qn dans sa décision
I didn’t want him to influence me in my choice → Je ne voulais pas qu’il m’influence dans mon choix.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

influence

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

influence

[ˈɪnflʊəns]

1. ninfluenza
to have an influence on sb/sth (subj, person) → avere un’influenza su qn/qc (event) → influenzare qn/qc (weather) → influire su qn/qc
to have influence with sb → avere un ascendente su qn
to be a good/bad influence on sb → avere or esercitare una buona/cattiva influenza su qn
under the influence of drugs → sotto l’effetto della droga
under the influence of drink → sotto l’effetto dell’alcol (Law) → in stato di ebbrezza
he was under the influence (fam) → aveva alzato il gomito

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

influence

(ˈinfluəns) noun

1. the power to affect people, actions or events. He used his influence to get her the job; He should not have driven the car while under the influence of alcohol.

2. a person or thing that has this power. She is a bad influence on him.

verb

to have an effect on. The weather seems to influence her moods.

ˌinfluˈential (-ˈenʃəl) adjective

having much influence. He is in quite an influential job; He was influential in getting the plan accepted.

ˌinfluˈentially adverb

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

influence

أَثَرُ, يُؤَثِّرُ فِي ovlivnit, vliv indflydelse, påvirke beeinflussen, Einfluss επηρεάζω, επιρροή influencia, influir vaikuttaa, vaikutus influence, influencer utjecaj, utjecati influenza, influenzare 影響, 影響を与える 영향, 영향을 미치다 beïnvloeden, invloed influere, innflytelse wpłynąć, wpływ influência, influenciar влияние, влиять inflytande, påverka มีอิทธิพล, อิทธิพล etki, etkilemek ảnh hưởng, gây ảnh hưởng 影响

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

Britannica Dictionary definition of INFLUENCE

:

the power to change or affect someone or something

:

the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen

[noncount]

  • Recent years have seen a decline in the company’s influence within the industry.

  • Her ideas have gradually gained influence in the company.

  • He used/wielded his influence to reform the company’s policies.

  • She was under the influence of drugs. [=she was affected by drugs]

  • He came under the influence of new ideas [=he was influenced by new ideas] when he went away to college.

  • She has remained under the influence of her parents.

often + on, upon, or over

  • She claims that her personal problems played/had no/little influence upon her decision to resign.

  • His health problems may have had some influence on his decision.

  • Her parents still have a great deal of influence over her.

  • The chairman wields considerable influence over the board’s decisions.

[singular]

  • Her parents are concerned that her new friends may have a bad influence on her.

  • Emily Dickinson has had a major influence on his poetry.

  • His health problems had a big influence on his decision.

  • They exert a strong cultural/economic influence over their neighbors in the region.

[count]

:

a person or thing that affects someone or something in an important way

  • My parents have been major influences in my life.

  • Emily Dickinson has been a major influence on his poetry.

  • Her parents are concerned that her new friends may be a bad influence on her.

  • The decision was affected by outside influences.

under the influence

:

affected by alcohol

:


drunk

  • He was arrested for driving under the influence.

Britannica Dictionary definition of INFLUENCE

[+ object]

:

to affect or change (someone or something) in an indirect but usually important way

:

to have an influence on (someone or something)

  • I was deeply/greatly influenced by my parents.

  • She claims that her decision to resign was not influenced by her personal problems.

  • No one knows how this decision will influence the outcome of the election.

  • He’s accused of illegally attempting to influence the jury.

sometimes followed by to + verb

  • No one knows what may have influenced them to commit these crimes.

  • Defenition of the word influence

    • To be of (some) importance, to influence something or someone (enough), to impress, to touch.
    • The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone.
    • A cognitive phenomenon that tends to affect the nature, the magnitude, and/or the timing of a consequence.
    • The effect of one thing (or person) on another.
    • To have and exert influence or effect.
    • induce into action by using one’s charm; «She charmed him into giving her all his money»
    • shape or influence; give direction to; «experience often determines ability»
    • causing something without any direct or apparent effort
    • a power to affect persons or events esp power based on prestige etc: «used her parents’ influence to get the job»
    • a cognitive factor that tends to have an effect on what you do; «her wishes had a great influence on his thinking»
    • one having power to influence another: «she was the most important influence in my life»; «he was a bad influence on the chldren»
    • the effect of one thing (or person) on another; «the influence of mechanical action»
    • have and exert influence or effect
    • a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc; «used her parents» influence to get the job»
    • one having power to influence another; «she was the most important influence in my life»; «he was a bad influence on the children»
    • shape or influence; give direction to; «experience often determines ability»; «mold public opinion»
    • induce into action by using one»s charm; «She charmed him into giving her all his money»
    • have and exert influence or effect; «The artist»s work influenced the young painter»; «She worked on her friends to support the political candidate»
    • a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
    • a cognitive factor that tends to have an effect on what you do
    • one having power to influence another
    • the effect of one thing (or person) on another
    • shape or influence; give direction to
    • induce into action by using one’s charm

Synonyms for the word influence

    • act upon
    • affect
    • authority
    • change
    • charm
    • control
    • determine
    • effect
    • encouragement
    • have an effect on
    • have some bearing on
    • impact
    • induce
    • inspiration
    • inspire
    • manipulate
    • persuade
    • power
    • pressure
    • regulate
    • shape
    • stimulus
    • sway
    • talk into
    • tempt
    • weight
    • win over

Similar words in the influence

    • influence
    • influence’s

Hyponyms for the word influence

    • bewitch
    • blackjack
    • blackmail
    • canker
    • carry
    • carry weight
    • color
    • colour
    • cross-pollination
    • dead hand
    • dead hand of the past
    • decide
    • disincline
    • dispose
    • dissuasion
    • dominate
    • encroachment
    • enticement
    • exposure
    • fix
    • force
    • form
    • get at
    • grasp
    • grip
    • hypnotism
    • impact
    • impingement
    • imponderable
    • imprint
    • incline
    • index
    • indispose
    • magnetise
    • magnetize
    • manipulate
    • manipulation
    • mesmerise
    • mesmerism
    • mesmerize
    • militate
    • miscreate
    • morale builder
    • mortmain
    • pace
    • persuade
    • persuasion
    • perturbation
    • pestilence
    • predetermine
    • prejudice
    • prepossess
    • pressure
    • pull strings
    • pull wires
    • purchase
    • reshape
    • spellbind
    • suggestion
    • support
    • sway
    • swing
    • swing over
    • temptation
    • time
    • use
    • wind

Hypernyms for the word influence

    • affect
    • bear on
    • bear upon
    • causal factor
    • causation
    • cause
    • causing
    • consequence
    • determinant
    • determinative
    • determiner
    • determining factor
    • do
    • effect
    • event
    • force
    • impact
    • issue
    • make
    • outcome
    • persuade
    • potency
    • power
    • powerfulness
    • result
    • touch
    • touch on
    • upshot

See other words

    • What is indefinite pronoun
    • The definition of increase
    • The interpretation of the word inch
    • What is meant by incantation
    • The lexical meaning impulse
    • The dictionary meaning of the word improviser
    • The grammatical meaning of the word improvisatore
    • Meaning of the word imprimatur
    • Literal and figurative meaning of the word heron
    • The origin of the word influent
    • Synonym for the word infomercial
    • Antonyms for the word infotainment
    • Homonyms for the word ingot
    • Hyponyms for the word ingrate
    • Holonyms for the word ingress
    • Hypernyms for the word inhabitant
    • Proverbs and sayings for the word inhibition
    • Translation of the word in other languages iniquity

Toggle the table of contents

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Influence or influencer may refer to:

  • Social influence, in social psychology, influence in interpersonal relationships
    • Minority influence, when the minority affect the behavior or beliefs of the majority
  • Influencer marketing, through individuals that have influence over potential buyers

Science and technology[edit]

  • Sphere of influence (astrodynamics), the region around a celestial body in which it is the primary gravitational influence on orbiting objects
  • Sphere of influence (black hole), a region around a black hole in which the gravity of the black hole dominates that of the host galaxy’s bulge

Politics[edit]

  • Undue influence, in contract law, where one person takes advantage of a position of power over another person
  • Sphere of influence, in political science, an area over which a state or organization has some indirect control
  • Agent of influence, an agent of some stature who uses his or her position to influence public opinion or decision making to produce results beneficial to the country whose intelligence service operates the agent
  • Office of Strategic Influence, a short-lived U.S. government department

Film, television and theatre[edit]

  • Influence (film), a 2020 Canadian/South African documentary
  • The Influence (2010 film), a South Korean film
  • The Influence (2019 film), a Spanish horror film
  • La influencia (2007 film), or The Influence, a Spanish drama film
  • Influence (play), a 2005 play by David Williamson
  • «Influence» (The Good Doctor), a 2020 TV episode
  • «Influence» (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), a 2006 TV episode

Music[edit]

  • Influence (band), a rock band formed in the 1960s

Albums[edit]

  • The Influence (album), an album by jazz artist Jimmy Raney.
  • Influences (album), a 1984 album by Mark King
  • Influence (Ardijah album), a 1996 album by the New Zealand group Ardijah
  • Influence (Sister Machine Gun album), a 2003 album by Sister Machine Gun
  • Influence, a 1992 album by Little Caesar

Songs[edit]

  • «Influence», a song by Tove Lo from Lady Wood
  • «Influence» (Sister Machine Gun song), a song by Sister Machine Gun from the album Influence (Sister Machine Gun album)
  • Influencer (song), a 2017 single from Japanese group Nogizaka46

Other uses[edit]

  • Driving under the influence, the criminal act of driving while intoxicated
  • Influence: Science and Practice, and Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion; two books by Robert Cialdini
  • The Influence (Monhegan, Maine), a house in the United States

See also[edit]

  • All pages with titles containing Influence or Influences
  • All pages with titles beginning with The Influence
  • All pages with titles beginning with Influence
  • Persuasion
  • Manipulation (disambiguation)
  • Influenza (disambiguation)

Like this post? Please share to your friends:
  • The definition of the word industry
  • The definition of the word history
  • The definition of the word habitat
  • The definition of the word group
  • The definition of the word grammar