Definitions for influence
ˈɪn flu ənsin·flu·ence

Princeton's WordNet(4.15 / 27 votes)Rate this definition:

1. influencenoun

   a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

   "used her parents' influence to get the job"

2. influencenoun

   causing something without any direct or apparent effort

3. influencenoun

   a cognitive factor that tends to have an effect on what you do

   "her wishes had a great influence on his thinking"

4. influencenoun

   the effect of one thing (or person) on another

   "the influence of mechanical action"

5. influenceverb

   one having power to influence another

   "she was the most important influence in my life"; "he was a bad influence on the children"

6. influence, act upon, workverb

   have and exert influence or effect

   "The artist's work influenced the young painter"; "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate"

7. determine, shape, mold, influence, regulateverb

   shape or influence; give direction to

   "experience often determines ability"; "mold public opinion"

8. charm, influence, temptverb

   induce into action by using one's charm

   "She charmed him into giving her all his money"

Wiktionary(3.75 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. influencenoun

   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.

   I have absolutely no influence over him.

2. influencenoun

   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.

3. influencenoun

   A person or thing exerting such power or action.

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

4. influencenoun

   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. influencenoun

   The action of flowing in; influx.

6. influencenoun

   electrostatic induction.

7. influenceverb

   To affect by gentle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to persuade or induce.

8. influenceverb

   To exert, make us of one's influence.

9. influenceverb

   To cause to flow in or into; infuse; instill.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. INFLUENCEnoun

   Etymology: influence, Fr. influo, Latin.

   1. Power of the celestial aspects operating upon terrestrial bodies and affairs.

   The sacred influence of light appears. John Milton.

   Comets no rule, no righteous order own;
   Their influence dreaded, as their ways unknown. Matthew Prior.

   2. Ascendant power; power of directing or modifying.

   Incomparable lady, your commandment doth not only give me the will, but the power to obey you; such influence hath your excellency. Philip Sidney.

   God hath his influence into the very essence of all things, without which influence of Deity supporting them, their utter annihilation could not chuse but follow. Richard Hooker.

   A wise man shall over-rule his stars, and have a greater influence upon his own content than all the constellations and planets of the firmament. Jeremy Taylor, Rule of living holy.

   Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault. John Milton.

   Religion hath so great an influence upon the felicity of men, that it ought to be upheld, not only out of a dread of the divine vengeance in another world, but out of regard to the temporal prosperity of men. John Tillotson.

   Our inconsistency in the pursuit of schemes throughly digested, has a bad influence on our affairs. Addison.

   So astonishing a scene would have present influence upon them, but not produce a lasting effect. Francis Atterbury.

   Where it ought to have greatest influence, this obvious indisputable truth is little regarded. John Rogers.

2. To Influenceverb

   To act upon with directive or impulsive power; to modify to any purpose; to guide or lead to any end.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   By thy kind pow'r and influencing care,
   The various creatures move, and live, and are. John Milton.

   These experiments succeed after the same manner in vacuo as in the open air, and therefore are not influenced by the weight or pressure of the atmosphere. Isaac Newton, Opt.

   This standing revelation was attested in the most solemn and credible manner; and is sufficient to influence their faith and practice, if they attend. Francis Atterbury.

   All the restraint men are under is, by the violation of one law, broken through; and the principle which influenced their obedience has lost its efficacy on them. John Rogers, Sermons.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Influencenoun

   a flowing in or upon; influx

2. Influencenoun

   hence, in general, the bringing about of an effect, phusical or moral, by a gradual process; controlling power quietly exerted; agency, force, or tendency of any kind which the sun exerts on animal and vegetable life; the influence of education on the mind; the influence, according to astrologers,of the stars over affairs

3. Influencenoun

   power or authority arising from elevated station, excelence of character or intellect, wealth, etc.; reputation; acknowledged ascendency; as, he is a man of influence in the community

4. Influencenoun

   induction

5. Influenceverb

   to control or move by power, physical or moral; to affect by gentle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to move; to persuade; to induce

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Influence

   in′flōō-ens, n. power exerted on men or things: power in operation: authority.—v.t. to affect: to move: to direct.—adj. Influen′tial, having or exerting influence or power over.—adv. Influen′tially. [Orig. a term in astrology, the power or virtue supposed to flow from planets upon men and things; O. Fr.,—Low L. influentia—L. in, into, fluĕre, to flow.]

Matched Categories

1. • Causing
   • Consequence
   • Determinant
   • Persuade
   • Power

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'influence' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1247

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'influence' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3165

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'influence' in Nouns Frequency: #481

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'influence' in Verbs Frequency: #354

How to pronounce influence?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say influence in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of influence in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of influence in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of influence in a Sentence

1. Michael Moore:

   If you just take the idea that it’s the president out of the equation, it becomes a much simpler and clearer thing to imagine, was this a threatening call? Was it an effort to influence the election? Does it warrant an investigation?

2. Neil Tanna:

   The geographic location of the surgeon has therefore more influence on different beauty ideals than his or her ethnicity.

3. Prosecutor Jason Nicol:

   There is no question: if Mr Carson did not have actual influence he certainly pretended he did so.

4. Michael Grudi?:

   People have been simulating star formation for a couple decades now, but STARFORGE is a quantum leap in technology, other models have only been able to simulate a tiny patch of the cloud where stars form -- not the entire cloud in high resolution. Without seeing the big picture, we miss a lot of factors that might influence the star's outcome.

5. Carter Page:

   The FBI, in late July, opened counterintelligence investigations of four Americans to see if they were working in any way with the Russians to influence our elections.

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