Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
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influence

noun · verb US /ˈɪnfluːəns/

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

How often you will meet it

Rank 1,057 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 17,360 times across 155,168 chapters — 0.008% of every word in the library.

What it means

noun

  1. a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc used her parents' influence to get the job
  2. causing something without any direct or apparent effort
  3. a cognitive factor that tends to have an effect on what you do her wishes had a great influence on his thinking
  4. the effect of one thing (or person) on another the influence of mechanical action
  5. one having power to influence another she was the most important influence in my lifehe was a bad influence on the children

verb

  1. have and exert influence or effect also: act upon, work The artist's work influenced the young painterShe worked on her friends to support the political candidate
  2. shape or influence; give direction to also: determine, shape, mold, regulate experience often determines abilitymold public opinion
  3. induce into action by using one's charm also: charm, tempt She charmed him into giving her all his money

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

influence in real books

Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.

  • I did not want any external influence in my life.

    The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1

  • The strongest and most soothing part of his influence over her was his exceeding silence.

    Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1

  • A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.

    The Legend of Sleepy Hollow · Washington Irving · Chapter 1

  • The peculiar sensitiveness of the southern white men for women, never shed its protecting influence about them.

    The Red Record Tabulated Statistics · Ida B. Wells-Barnett · Chapter 1

  • Shall Time with creeping influence cold Unnerve and cow? the heart Pine for the heartless ones enrolled With palterers of the mart?

    John Marr and Other Poems · Herman Melville · Chapter 1

Nearby in the frequency table

1,053 tongue1,054 hotel1,055 rise1,056 nay 1,057 influence 1,058 legs1,059 cousin1,060 cross1,061 command

The whole table Read a book