I. in ‧ flu ‧ ence 1 S3 W1 /ˈɪnfluəns/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: French ; Origin: Medieval Latin influentia , from Latin fluere 'to flow' ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] the power to affect the way someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks, without using direct force or orders:
As a scientist, his influence was immense.
influence on/over
the unions’ influence over local politics
2 . [countable] someone or something that has an influence on other people or things
bad/good/positive etc influence (on somebody)
Gayle’s mother said I was a bad influence on her daughter.
For centuries the country remained untouched by outside influences.
3 . under the influence (of alcohol/drink/drugs etc) drunk or feeling the effects of a drug
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ have an influence on somebody/something
His works have had an influence on many modern writers.
▪ exert an influence formal (=have an influence)
Technology exerts a powerful influence over our lives.
▪ use your influence
She wasn’t afraid to use her influence to get what she wanted.
▪ exercise/wield influence formal (=use it)
The Federal Reserve exercises influence on the economy by setting short-term interest rates.
▪ come/fall under the influence of somebody/something (=be influenced by someone or something)
They had come under the influence of a religious sect.
▪ extend your influence (=make your influence larger)
Syria had the opportunity to extend its influence in the region.
■ adjectives
▪ a good/positive influence
Television can have a positive influence on young people.
▪ a bad/negative influence
He thought her friends were a bad influence.
▪ a big/great influence
The goalkeeper’s injury had a big influence on the match.
▪ an important/significant/major influence
Parents have an important influence on children's development.
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He was a major influence on my musical tastes.
▪ considerable influence
Well-organized pressure groups can exert considerable influence on the government.
▪ a strong/powerful influence
The press can have a powerful influence on the way people vote.
▪ a deep/profound influence
His writings had a profound influence on the Romantic poets.
▪ a growing influence
Many people are worried about the growing influence of these websites.
▪ a lasting influence (=continuing for a long time)
His travels in Africa had a lasting influence on his work.
▪ a direct/indirect influence
The Cubist painters had a direct influence on his work.
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The federal government has an indirect influence on investment through its control of bank credits.
▪ a calming/soothing influence
The music seemed to have a calming influence.
▪ sb’s personal influence
Frank used his personal influence to get his son a job at the newspaper.
▪ political/cultural/economic influence
French political influence began to dominate the country.
▪ outside/external influence (=happening from outside a country or a situation)
They must make their own decisions, free from external influence.
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The US remains the biggest outside influence on the country.
▪ undue influence (=too much influence)
He felt that the United States wielded undue influence in Europe.
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THESAURUS
▪ effect a change that is caused by an event, action etc:
The people in this area are still suffering from the effects of the famine.
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The treatment had little or no effect.
▪ impact an effect that happens as a result of something important, especially a big and permanent effect:
Changes in technology have had a massive impact on the way we work.
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the environmental impact of industrial activity
▪ influence the effect that something has on people’s opinions or behaviour, or on how something develops:
American television has had a big influence on popular culture in the west.
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His ideas had a lot of influence at the time.
▪ side effect an unwanted and unplanned effect that something has – used especially about drugs and medical treatment:
Common side effects of the drug may include headaches and muscle pains.
▪ after-effects British English , aftereffects American English bad effects that continue for a long time after the thing that caused them:
A traumatic experience can have severe psychological after-effects.
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the after-effects of the war
▪ repercussions /ˌriːpəˈkʌʃ ə ns $ -pər-// the effects that happen later as a result of an event or decision, especially a range of effects that continue for a long time:
The scandal could have serious repercussions for her career.
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The judge’s decision is likely to have important repercussions for future cases of this kind.
▪ a knock-on effect British English used when something has an effect on something, which then has an effect on something else:
Higher oil prices have a knock-on effect on other fuels.
▪ footprint the effect that human activities have on the environment, caused by using up its natural resources, pollution, waste etc:
Businesses all over the world must attempt to reduce their environmental footprint.
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The house has a low carbon footprint (=it uses very little energy from carbon and therefore is good for the environment) .
II. influence 2 S3 W2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to affect the way someone or something develops, behaves, thinks etc without directly forcing or ordering them:
Marx was strongly influenced by the historian Niebuhr.
influence a decision/outcome/choice etc
Several factors are likely to influence this decision.
influence somebody to do something
What influenced you to take up nursing?
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THESAURUS
▪ persuade to make someone decide to do something, especially by giving them reasons why they should do it, or asking them many times to do it:
I persuaded her to change her mind.
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Do you think you can persuade him to lend us the money?
▪ talk somebody into (doing) something to persuade someone to do something, especially something they do not really want to do:
Why did I let you talk me into this?
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He finally talked her into going on a date with him.
▪ get somebody to do something to make someone do something by persuading or asking them:
If we can’t get a taxi I’ll get Joe to pick us up.
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I know how to get you to kiss me.
▪ convince to persuade someone that they should do something, because it is the best or the right thing to do. Some British speakers think this use is incorrect, and prefer to use persuade :
It would be difficult to convince him to move.
▪ encourage to try to persuade someone to do something, especially because you think it will be good for them:
Children should be encouraged to read all kinds of books.
▪ influence to have an effect on what someone decides to do:
What influences you to buy clothes?
▪ coax to persuade someone to do something by talking gently and kindly:
I tried to coax him to eat a little.
▪ cajole /kəˈdʒəʊl $ -ˈdʒoʊl/ to persuade someone to do something by praising them or making promises to them:
He hoped to cajole her into selling her house.
▪ put somebody up to something to persuade or encourage someone to do something wrong or stupid:
Who put you up to this?
▪ dissuade formal to persuade someone not to do something:
How do you dissuade young people from experimenting with drugs?