influence

IPA: ˈɪnfɫuʌns

The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.
An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change.
A person or thing exerting such power or action.
(astrology) An element believed to determine someone's character or individual tendencies, caused by the position of the stars and planets at the time of one's birth.
(obsolete) The action of flowing in; influx.
(electricity) Electrostatic induction.

(transitive) To have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to persuade or induce.
(intransitive) To exert, make use of one's influence.
(transitive, obsolete) To cause to flow in or into; infuse; instill.

Examples of "influence" in Sentences

The common use of the term influence would seem to imply the existence of its correlative, effluence.
But equally obviously the main influence is NOT East Asian, as anyone with two eyes and a little sense can see.
This objection, that we non-voters shall lose all our influence, confounds the broad distinction between _influence_ and _power_.
Resisting undue outside influence is part of what news professionals do, even when that influence comes from the public they're honor-bound to serve.
No one in influence is willing to take the bull by the horns and do something; Even the highest form of govt. believe prohibition to be largely inneffective.
And we compute the authority of people-what we call "influence"-based on the likelihood that a single post from a single individual is going to get attention.
We commonly use the term influence to denote a persuasive power, or a governmental power, exerted purposely, and with a conscious design to effect some result in the subject.
Thus the determining influence is not the difference between the large town and the small; and the character of the school depends, not only upon the moral level of its pupils, but above all upon the moral level and the _personal influence_ of the head of the school and the assistant teachers.