Influence

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=flu=ence

CIDE DICTIONARY

Influence, n. [F. influence, fr. L. influens, -entis, p. pr. See Influent, and cf. Influenza.].

•  A flowing in or upon; influx.  [1913 Webster]

  "God hath his influence into the very essence of all things."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, in general, the bringing about of an effect, physical or moral, by a gradual process; controlling power quietly exerted; agency, force, or tendency of any kind which affects, modifies, or sways; as, the influence 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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Astrologers call the evil influences of the stars, evil aspects."  [1913 Webster]

  "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?"  [1913 Webster]

  "She said : “Ah, dearest lord! what evil star
  On you hath frown'd, and poured, his influence bad?”"  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Such influence hath your excellency."  [1913 Webster]
•  Induction.

Syn. -- Control; persuasion; ascendency; sway; power; authority; supremacy; mastery; management; restraint; character; reputation; prestige.

Influence, v. t. 

 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 affect; to move; to persuade; to induce.  [1913 Webster]
"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."  [1913 Webster]
"This standing revelation . . . is sufficient to influence their faith and practice, if they attend."  [1913 Webster]
"The principle which influenced their obedience has lost its efficacy."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Influence, n. & v.
--n.
1 a (usu. foll. by on, upon) the effect a person or thing has on another. b (usu. foll. by over, with) moral ascendancy or power. c a thing or person exercising such power (is a good influence on them).
2 Astrol. an ethereal fluid supposedly flowing from the stars and affecting character and destiny.
3 Electr. archaic = INDUCTION.
--v.tr. exert influence on; have an effect on.

Idiom

under the influence colloq. affected by alcoholic drink.

Derivative

influenceable adj. influencer n.

Etymology

ME f. OF influence or med.L influentia inflow f. L influere flow in (as IN-(2), fluere flow)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Influence

n. In politics, a visionary _quo_ given in exchange for a substantial _quid_.

THESAURUS

Influence

Rasputin, Svengali, VIP, access, acme, act on, act upon, actuation, advance, affect, alter, amperage, animation, armipotence, ascendancy, authority, authorization, bad influence, be-all and end-all, beef, behind-the-scenes influence, bend, bias, big wheel, black power, blue ribbon, bring, brute force, carry, championship, change, charge, charisma, clout, cogence, cogency, color, command, compulsion, concentrate on, conduce to, connections, consequence, contribute to, control, court, credit, decide, determine, devices, dint, direction, directorship, dispose, distort, dominance, domination, dominion, drag, drive, duress, effect, effectiveness, effectuality, eminence, eminence grise, energy, engage, enlist, expedients, favor, favoritism, first place, first prize, five-percenter, flower power, focus on, force, force majeure, forcefulness, forward, friend at court, full blast, full force, get, get to do, good influence, gray eminence, greatness, headship, heavyweight, hegemony, height, hidden hand, highest, hold, impact, imperium, importance, impress, impress upon, in, incline, induce, influence peddler, influencer, influentialness, ingroup, inner-direction, inspire, interest in, jaundice, jurisdiction, key, kingmaker, kingship, lead, lead to, leadership, leverage, lobby, lobbyist, lords of creation, lordship, lure, machination, main force, main strength, man of influence, mana, management, maneuvering, maneuvers, manipulate, manipulation, manipulator, mastership, mastery, maximum, might, might and main, mightiness, modify, moment, most, motivate, motivation, move, moving, moxie, muscle power, ne plus ultra, new high, open sesame, operate on, other-direction, palms, paramountcy, persuade, pizzazz, political influence, poop, potence, potency, potentiality, power, power pack, power structure, power struggle, powerfulness, powers that be, precedence, predispose, predominance, prejudice, prejudice against, prejudice the issue, prepossess, prepotency, presidency, pressure, pressure group, prestige, primacy, priority, procure, productiveness, productivity, prominence, prompt, prompting, puissance, pull, punch, push, rank, record, redound to, rule, say, seniority, sinew, sinister influence, soften up, sovereignty, special interests, special-interest group, stature, steam, stimulation, strength, strike, strong arm, subserve, superiority, superpower, supremacy, sway, tactical maneuvers, tactics, tempt, the Establishment, tinge, tone, top spot, touch, treat, turn the scale, twist, validity, vehemence, very important person, vigor, vim, virility, virtue, virulence, vitality, warp, wattage, wear down, weigh with, weight, weightiness, wheeler-dealer, wire-puller, wire-pulling, work, work on, zenith

ROGET THESAURUS

Influence

Motive

N motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action, reason, ground, call, principle, by end, by purpose, mainspring, primum mobile, keystone, the why and the wherefore, pro and con, reason why, secret motive, arriere pensee, intention, inducement, consideration, attraction, loadstone, magnet, magnetism, magnetic force, allectation, allective, temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery, bewitchment, bewitchery, charm, spell, fascination, blandishment, cajolery, seduction, seducement, honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple, persuasibility, persuasibleness, attractability, impressibility, susceptibility, softness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, tantalization, influence, prompting, dictate, instance, impulse, impulsion, incitement, incitation, press, instigation, provocation, inspiration, persuasion, suasion, encouragement, advocacy, exhortation, advice, solicitation, lobbyism, pull, incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram, bribe, lure, decoy, decoy duck, bait, trail of a red herring, bribery and corruption, sop, sop for Cerberus, prompter, tempter, seducer, seductor, instigator, firebrand, incendiary, Siren, Circe, agent provocateur, lobbyist, impulsive, motive, suasive, suasory, persuasive, persuasory, hortative, hortatory, protreptical, inviting, tempting suasive, suasory, seductive, attractive, fascinating, provocative, induced, disposed, persuadable, spellbound, instinct with, smitten with, infatuated, inspired, by, because, therefore, from this motive, from that motive, for this reason, for that reason, for, by reason of, for the sake of, count of, out of, from, as, forasmuch as, for all the world, on principle, fax mentis incendium gloriae, temptation hath a music for all ears, to beguile many and be beguiled by one.

VB induce, move, draw, draw on, bring in its train, give an impulse, to, inspire, put up to, prompt, call up, attract, beckon, stimulate, spirit up, inspirit, rouse, arouse, animate, incite, foment, provoke, instigate, set on, actuate, act upon, work upon, operate upon, encourage, pat on the back, pat on the shoulder, clap on the back, clap on the shoulder, influence, weigh with, bias, sway, incline, dispose, predispose, turn the scale, inoculate, lead by the nose, have influence with, have influence over, have influence upon, exercise influence with, exercise influence over, exercise influence upon, go round, come round one, turn the head, magnetize, lobby, persuade, prevail with, prevail upon, overcome, carry, bring round to one's senses, bring to one's senses, draw over, win over, gain over, come over, talk over, procure, enlist, engage, invite, court, tempt, seduce, overpersuade, entice, allure, captivate, fascinate, bewitch, carry away, charm, conciliate, wheedle, coax, lure, inveigle, tantalize, cajole, tamper with, bribe, suborn, grease the palm, bait with a silver hook, gild the pill, make things pleasant, put a sop into the pan, throw a sop to, bait the hook, enforce, force, impel, propel, whip, lash, goad, spur, prick, urge, egg on, hound, hurry on, drag, exhort, advise, call upon, press, advocate, set an example, set the fashion, keep in countenance, be persuaded, yield to temptation, come round, concede, obey a call, follow advice, follow the bent, follow the dictates of, act on principle.

Authority

N authority, influence, patronage, power, preponderance, credit, prestige, prerogative, jurisdiction, right, direction, government, divine right, dynastic rights, authoritativeness, absoluteness, absolutism, despotism, jus nocendi, jus divinum, mastery, mastership, masterdom, dictation, control, hold, grasp, grip, gripe, reach, iron sway, fangs, clutches, talons, rod of empire, commission, deputy, permission, at the head, dominant, paramount, supreme, predominant, preponderant, in the ascendant, influential, arbitrary, compulsory, stringent, at one's command, in one's power, in one's grasp, under control, in the name of, by the authority of, de par le Roi, in virtue of, under the auspices of, in the hands of, at one's pleasure, by a dash if the pen, by a stroke of the pen, ex mero motu, ex cathedra, from the chair, the gray mare the better horse, every inch a king.

Change

VB change, alter, vary, wax and wane, modulate, diversify, qualify, tamper with, turn, shift, veer, tack, chop, shuffle, swerve, warp, deviate, turn aside, evert, intervert, pass to, take a turn, turn the corner, resume, work a change, modify, vamp, superinduce, transform, transfigure, transmute, transmogrify, transume, metamorphose, ring the changes, innovate, introduce new blood, shuffle the cards, give a turn to, give a color to, influence, turn the scale, shift the scene, turn over a new leaf, recast, reverse, disturb, convert into.

Cause

N cause, origin, source, principle, element, occasioner, prime mover, primum mobile, vera causa, author, mainspring, agent, leaven, groundwork, foundation, spring, fountain, well, font, fountainhead, spring head, wellhead, fons et origo, genesis, descent, remote cause, influence, pivot, hinge, turning point, lever, crux, fulcrum, key, proximate cause, causa causans, straw that breaks the camel's back, ground, reason, reason why, why and wherefore, rationale, occasion, derivation, final cause, les dessous des cartes, undercurrents, rudiment, egg, germ, embryo, bud, root, radix radical, etymon, nucleus, seed, stem, stock, stirps, trunk, tap-root, gemmule, radicle, semen, sperm, nest, cradle, nursery, womb, nidus, birthplace, hotbed, causality, causation, origination, production, caused, causal, original, primary, primitive, primordial, aboriginal, protogenal, radical, embryonic, embryotic, in embryo, in ovo, seminal, germinal, at the bottom of, connate, having a common origin, because, behind the scenes, causa latet vis est notissima, felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.

Power

N power, potency, potentiality, jiva, puissance, might, force, energy, dint, right hand, right arm, ascendency, sway, control, prepotency, prepollence, almightiness, omnipotence, authority, strength, ability, ableness, competency, efficacy, efficiency, productivity, expertise (skill), validity, cogency, enablement, vantage ground, influence, pressure, conductivity, elasticity, gravity, electricity, magnetism, galvanism, voltaic electricity, voltaism, electromagnetism, atomic power, nuclear power, thermonuclear power, fuel cell, hydraulic power, water power, hydroelectric power, solar power, solar energy, solar panels, tidal power, wind power, attraction, vis inertiae, vis mortua, vis viva, potential energy, dynamic energy, dynamic friction, dynamic suction, live circuit, live rail, live wire, capability, capacity, quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent, faculty, quality, attribute, endowment, virtue, gift, property, qualification, susceptibility, powerful, puissant, potential, capable, able, equal to, up to, cogent, valid, efficient, productive, effective, effectual, efficacious, adequate, competent, multipotent, plenipotent, omnipotent, almighty, forcible, (energetic), influential, productive, powerfully, by virtue of, by dint of, a toute force, dos moi pou sto kai kino ten gen, eripuit coelo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis, fortis cadere cedere non potest.

Agency

N agency, operation, force, working, strain, function, office, maintenance, exercise, work, swing, play, interworking, interaction, procurement, causation, instrumentality, influence, action, modus operandi, quickening power, maintaining power, sustaining power, home stroke, operative, efficient, efficacious, practical, effectual, at work, on foot, acting, in operation, in force, in action, in play, in exercise, acted upon, wrought upon, by the agency of through, by means of, I myself must mix with action lest I wither by des.

Influence

N influence, importance, weight, pressure, preponderance, prevalence, sway, predominance, predominancy, ascendency, dominance, reign, control, domination, pull, authority, capability, effect, interest, synergy (cooperation), footing, purchase, play, leverage, vantage ground, tower of strength, host in himself, protection, patronage, auspices, influential, effective, important, weighty, prevailing, prevalent, rife, rampant, dominant, regnant, predominant, in the ascendant, hegemonical, with telling effect, tel maure tel valet.