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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of influential
And central to that mission have been private grant-making institutions like the John M. Olin Foundation, which helped establish the Federalist Society, among many other influential conservative think tanks.
—
Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
While not formally trained in studio art, Makonnen received mentoring from influential artists, including Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui and American mixed-media sculptor Martha Jackson Jarvis.
—Shantay Robinson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
Food critic and creator Keith Lee exemplifies this transformation, using his platform to build an influential business empire.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025
There are few books more influential on scholars’ understanding of class than historian E. P. Thompson’s 1963 The Making of the English Working Class, which discussed the role of laborers and artisans, drawing on their own subjective experiences, in forming the class as a coherent group.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for influential 
Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
While not formally trained in studio art, Makonnen received mentoring from influential artists, including Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui and American mixed-media sculptor Martha Jackson Jarvis.
—Shantay Robinson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
Food critic and creator Keith Lee exemplifies this transformation, using his platform to build an influential business empire.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025
There are few books more influential on scholars’ understanding of class than historian E. P. Thompson’s 1963 The Making of the English Working Class, which discussed the role of laborers and artisans, drawing on their own subjective experiences, in forming the class as a coherent group.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
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Vancouver had an authoritative control of shots and scoring chances but fell 3-2 in overtime.—
Harman Dayal,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
-
The Celtics’ regulars then scuffled through the final 12 minutes, keeping the Bulls at arm’s length but not delivering any sort of authoritative knockout blow.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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While those odds of an impact are slim, astronomers are closely tracking the space rock to uncover more details — a process that could soon involve the most powerful observatory ever launched into space.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
15 Feb. 2025
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His motivation could be to control something very powerful or just to slow down OpenAI in order to allow XAI to improve—seize the new market opportunity—or to break up OpenAI and render his competition obsolete.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That reading trend line raises important questions about how quickly states can expect to see improvement after many passed laws to improve literacy instruction.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
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To improve brain function and sharpen your focus Magnesium plays an important role in relaying signals between your brain and body.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The addition of about 500 new jobs will have a significant impact on the area’s employment and economic landscapes, Sada said, noting that the chamber doesn’t anticipate these positions to be highly specialized roles.—
Shawn Raymundo,
The Arizona Republic,
16 Feb. 2025
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Along with the cold will come the chance for a significant snowstorm, one that could eventually bring blizzard conditions to parts of the East Coast.—
Doyle Rice,
USA TODAY,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The dominant objective of this administration is corruption and lawlessness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2025
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In the United States, the dominant view on how to manage addiction has traditionally been that abstinence is the best solution.—
Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
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According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near influential
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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