Meaning & use
influential
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Able to affect what people think, decide or do, because of power, respect or reputation.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: an influential person, she is influential.
Patterns
- influential in something
- influential among someone
She is one of the most influential voices in modern education.
His influential book changed how doctors treat back pain.
The committee is influential in deciding how the funds are spent.
adjectivecomparable
Having a strong effect on a movement, style or later work.
Grammar: Often used about artists, ideas and works: an influential album.
Patterns
- highly influential
- an influential idea
The band's first album proved hugely influential on later groups.
Her influential essay shaped a generation of writers.
The architect's influential designs spread across Europe.
Word forms
| comparative | more influential |
|---|---|
| superlative | most influential |
Common combinations
- highly influential
- The study was highly influential among policy makers.
- politically influential
- He was a politically influential figure.
- deeply influential
- The teacher was deeply influential in her life.
- influential figure
- She became an influential figure in science.
- influential in shaping
- The report was influential in shaping new laws.
Synonyms and how they differ
- powerful
- Powerful stresses having strength or authority, while influential stresses changing what others think or do.
- important
- Important is a general word of significance, but influential specifically means causing change.
- persuasive
- Persuasive describes the ability to convince someone in a specific case, whereas influential describes lasting effect.
- authoritative
- Authoritative suggests trusted expertise, but an influential person may not be an expert.
Opposites
Word family
- influence noun
- the power to affect someone or something
- influence verb
- to have an effect on someone or something
- influencer noun
- a person who shapes opinions online
- influentially adverb
- in a way that has an effect on others
Commonly confused: influential or influenced? influential or influenza?
influential vs influenced
Influenced describes the person or thing that has been affected, while influential describes the one that affects others.
influential vs influenza
Influenza is the flu, and shares only the same Latin root.
Practice
Her book was so ____ that it changed the way schools across the country teach reading.
Choose one answer.
Influential is the adjective for something with a strong effect on others. Influenced would mean the book was affected, influencing is a participle, and influence is a noun or verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “influential”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.