having or exerting influence
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•flu•en•tial /ˌɪnfluˈɛnʃəl/USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- of or relating to influence:an influential congresswoman in the caucus.
in•flu•en•tial
(in′flo̅o̅ en′shəl),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
in′flu•en′tial•ly, adv.
- having or exerting influence, esp. great influence:three influential educators.
n.
- a person who exerts or can exert strong influence:according to influentials of the fashion industry.
- Medieval Latin influenti(a) stellar emanation (see influence) + -al1
- 1560–70
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged consequential, forceful, important.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'influential' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
-ize
- Beccaria
- Big Foot
- Bloomfield
- Borghese
- Cardenal
- Carracci
- Dionysius the Areopagite
- Family Compact
- Goliath
- Harnack
- Mafia
- Mannheim School
- McCahon
- Nimzowitsch
- Old Guard
- Orphism
- Peel
- Rasputin
- Réti
- Sheraton
- Shorter Catechism
- Smith
- Soong
- Steiner
- Wasp
- ascendant
- back room
- behind-the-scenes
- big
- big cheese
- big gun
- big hitter
- big shot
- big wheel
- biggie
- blockbuster
- bon ton
- capital
- connected
- connection
- contact
- decisive
- dominant
- elder
- elder statesman
- enchilada
- epochal
- fat cat
- friend at court