influential

adjective

ˌin-(ˌ)flü-ˈen(t)-shəl How to pronounce influential (audio)
Definition of influentialnext
1
as in authoritative
having power over the minds or behavior of others in light of the effect that they have had, religious leaders such as Jesus and Muḥammad must be regarded as among the most influential people ever

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerful
having great power or influence a particularly influential politician got the team a new ballpark

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of influential Brentano, Arnim, Kleist, and the influential German Christian Table Society. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 It was named one of the most influential books of the decade by CNN and one of the best books of the decade by Time and Entertainment Weekly. — Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 But perhaps even more influential was seeing artists from his own orbit begin to break through. — Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Centaur remains one of the most influential upper-stage designs in American spaceflight. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
  1. authoritative
  2. powerful
  3. important
  4. significant
  5. dominant
  6. strong
Adjective
  • Creators are influential but not yet authoritative in the ways that matter for business.
    — Ohad Ben Artzi, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Indeed, chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude are simultaneously authoritative-sounding and eager-to-please, a combination that can lead to terrible-yet-seductive advice that many users accept with little to no critical pushback.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of authoritative
Adjective
  • The two progressive, politically powerful unions helped carry Mayor Brandon Johnson into office.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Gratitude is the most powerful and enduring sentiment of all — not because everything’s fine.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of powerful
Adjective
  • Ironically, the authority of doctors was supremely important to medieval people, even if the treatments seem barbaric and ineffective now.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • That choice was to keep him fresh for the more important league game on the weekend.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of important
Adjective
  • Low-income Americans who can’t afford to buy into the housing market and who lack a significant presence in the stock market are starting on their back foot.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Apple needs significant upload capacty include the volume of shipping required to bring the iPhones to market.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of significant
Adjective
  • Apple’s market dominance is built around September; moving away from tradition would upset the ecosystem supporting the launch and risk weakening the iPhone’s dominant position.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There have been plenty of dominant teams in the 150-plus-year history of college football, but few have left a bigger mark on the sport than the Miami Hurricanes did during the 1980s.
    — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of dominant
Adjective
  • Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency said August and September are expected to be the most critical months as dry vegetation and strong winds create favorable conditions for fires to spread rapidly.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For someone who is dogmatic, or has a strong commitment to evangelism, this may not be satisfactory.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of strong

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influent
influential
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Cite this Entry

“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of influential for Spanish Speakers

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