influential

1 of 2

adjective

in·​flu·​en·​tial ˌin-(ˌ)flü-ˈen(t)-shəl How to pronounce influential (audio)
: exerting or possessing influence
influentially adverb

influential

2 of 2

noun

: one who has great influence

Examples of influential in a Sentence

Adjective His theories have become more influential in recent years. My parents have been the most influential people in my life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The nation’s most influential newspaper has essentially anointed Newsom as the leader of resistance to Trump, which is not a bad start on a 2028 campaign for the presidency, especially now that Vice President Kamala Harris is out of the way — if, indeed, that’s Newsom’s unstated ambition. Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024 Related Articles Elias: ‘California Forever’ ballot measure could’ve been hugely influential Elias: California’s Nov. 5 ballot not lacking for consequential issues One thing that’s for sure is Newsom will not have much influence over the race to replace him. Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
To secure support from the elders and influentials, potential parliamentarians were reputed to have paid tens of thousands of dollars for a vote. Vanda Felbab-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2017 The pattern began in the Russian leader’s earliest days, when Boris A. Berezovsky, an oligarch influential in Mr. Putin’s rise, ran afoul of him and fled, treated for years as a public enemy before his death in Britain in 2013 under murky circumstances. Paul Sonne, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for influential 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of influential was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near influential

Cite this Entry

“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/influential. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

influential

adjective
in·​flu·​en·​tial
ˌin-(ˌ)flü-ˈen-chəl
: having influence
influentially
-ˈench-(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on influential

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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