Library / English Dictionary

INFLUENCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Causing something without any direct or apparent effort

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("influence" is a kind of...):

causation; causing (the act of causing something to happen)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "influence"):

cross-pollination (stimulating influence among diverse elements)

exposure (the act of subjecting someone to an influencing experience)

encroachment; impact; impingement (influencing strongly)

manipulation; use (exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage)

hypnotism; mesmerism; suggestion (the act of inducing hypnosis)

enticement; temptation (the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire)

Derivation:

influence (shape or influence; give direction to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Example:

used her parents' influence to get the job

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("influence" is a kind of...):

power; powerfulness (possession of controlling influence)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "influence"):

dead hand; dead hand of the past; mortmain (the oppressive influence of past events or decisions)

force (a powerful effect or influence)

grasp; grip (an intellectual hold or understanding)

Derivation:

influence (induce into action by using one's charm)

influence (have and exert influence or effect)

influential (having or exercising influence or power)

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Example:

her wishes had a great influence on his thinking

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("influence" is a kind of...):

causal factor; determinant; determinative; determiner; determining factor (a determining or causal element or factor)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "influence"):

enticement; temptation (something that seduces or has the quality to seduce)

support (something providing immaterial assistance to a person or cause or interest)

canker; pestilence (a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of)

morale builder (something or someone who influences by building or strengthening morale)

imprint (a distinctive influence)

imponderable (a factor whose effects cannot be accurately assessed)

Derivation:

influence (have and exert influence or effect)

Sense 4

Meaning:

One having power to influence another

Example:

he was a bad influence on the children

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("influence" is a kind of...):

force; power (one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority)

Derivation:

influence (shape or influence; give direction to)

influence (induce into action by using one's charm)

influence (have and exert influence or effect)

influential (having or exercising influence or power)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The effect of one thing (or person) on another

Example:

the influence of mechanical action

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("influence" is a kind of...):

consequence; effect; event; issue; outcome; result; upshot (a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "influence"):

perturbation ((physics) a secondary influence on a system that causes it to deviate slightly)

purchase (a means of exerting influence or gaining advantage)

wind (a tendency or force that influences events)

Derivation:

influential (having or exercising influence or power)

influence (have and exert influence or effect)

influence (induce into action by using one's charm)

influence (shape or influence; give direction to)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Shape or influence; give direction to

Example:

mold public opinion

Synonyms:

determine; influence; mold; regulate; shape

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "influence" is one way to...):

cause; do; make (give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "influence"):

predetermine (determine beforehand)

pace (regulate or set the pace of)

index (adjust through indexation)

time (set the speed, duration, or execution of)

reshape (shape anew or differently)

decide (influence or determine)

carry weight (have influence to a specified degree)

miscreate (shape or form or make badly)

disincline; indispose (make unwilling)

dispose; incline (make receptive or willing towards an action or attitude or belief)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something
Somebody ----s whether INFINITIVE

Derivation:

influence (causing something without any direct or apparent effort)

influence (one having power to influence another)

influence (the effect of one thing (or person) on another)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Induce into action by using one's charm

Example:

She charmed him into giving her all his money

Synonyms:

charm; influence; tempt

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "influence" is one way to...):

persuade (cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "influence"):

bewitch; magnetise; magnetize; mesmerise; mesmerize; spellbind (attract strongly, as if with a magnet)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Sentence example:

They influence him to write the letter

Derivation:

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

influence (one having power to influence another)

influence (the effect of one thing (or person) on another)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Have and exert influence or effect

Example:

She worked on her friends to support the political candidate

Synonyms:

act upon; influence; work

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "influence" is one way to...):

affect; bear on; bear upon; impact; touch; touch on (have an effect upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "influence"):

dominate (be in control)

fix (influence an event or its outcome by illegal means)

get at (influence by corruption)

carry; persuade; sway (win approval or support for)

blackjack; blackmail; pressure (exert pressure on someone through threats)

swing; swing over (influence decisively)

color; colour (modify or bias)

manipulate; pull strings; pull wires (influence or control shrewdly or deviously)

militate (have force or influence; bring about an effect or change)

form; imprint (establish or impress firmly in the mind)

prejudice; prepossess (influence (somebody's) opinion in advance)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

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

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

influence (one having power to influence another)

influence (the effect of one thing (or person) on another)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Never having known mother or sisters, he was quick to feel the influences they brought about him, and their busy, lively ways made him ashamed of the indolent life he led.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

An institute within the National Institutes of Health with the mission to reduce the burden of human illness and disability by understanding how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.

(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NCI Thesaurus)

Binding activity mediates signal transduction that affects the nervous system and influences cell behavior.

(Neural Peptide Receptor, NCI Thesaurus)

The peptide also stimulates feeding and drinking behavior and influences secretion of pituitary hormones.

(Neuropeptide Y, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Inactivation of the SMAD4 tumour suppressor gene leads to loss of the inhibitory influence of the transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway.

(Pancreatic Cancer Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

These cytokines influence B-cell development and antibody production as well as augmenting humoral responses.

(Murine Th2 Cells, NCI Thesaurus)

Although its mechanism of action is not fully known the effects seem to be due to an influence on the virus host-cell system.

(Moroxydine, NCI Thesaurus)

Testing the device for problems that result from external forces including fluids, other objects, or environmental or physiologic influences.

(Device Mechanical Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

Device problems that result from internal or external forces including fluids, other objects, or environmental or physiologic influences.

(Device Mechanical Problem Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

Guided by theory and research, their practice considers all influences on health status and the related social and behavioral problems arising because of the patient's physiological condition.

(Medical-Surgical Nurse Specialist, NCI Thesaurus)