What does "influence" mean?
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.
Influence
/ˈɪn.flu.əns/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: 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.
- Grammar: influence is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: access, acme, act on, act upon.
- Useful contrasts: situational helplessness, unaffecting, unswayed.
- Usage evidence: Do you think our climate has an influence on our character?
How to use "influence"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "influence" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "influence" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "influence" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "influence" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "influence" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "access" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "influence", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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. countable, uncountable
"I have absolutely no influence over him."
- 2 causing something without any direct or apparent effort wordnet
- 3 An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change. countable, uncountable
"I'm not able to exercise influence over him."
- 4 a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc wordnet
- 5 A person or thing exerting such power or action. countable, uncountable
"He has been a great influence on the voters during the elections."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a cognitive factor that tends to have an effect on what you do wordnet
- 7 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. countable, uncountable
- 8 one having power to influence another wordnet
- 9 The action of flowing in; influx. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"God hath his influence into the very essence of all things."
- 10 the effect of one thing (or person) on another wordnet
- 11 Electrostatic induction. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 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. transitive
"The politician wants to influence the public."
- 2 shape or influence; give direction to wordnet
- 3 To exert, make use of one's influence. intransitive
- 4 induce into action by using one's charm wordnet
- 5 To cause to flow in or into; infuse; instill. obsolete, transitive
Show 1 more definition
- 6 have and exert influence or effect wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Do you think our climate has an influence on our character?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "influence"?
Common synonyms include: access, acme, act on, act upon, act upon, action.
How do you use "influence" in a sentence?
Do you think our climate has an influence on our character?
How do you pronounce "influence"?
Pronounced /ˈɪn.flu.əns/.
Etymology
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.