Origin: Latin suffix -al
Influential has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
A person who has influence
"The influential senator introduced a bill that changed the entire education system."
In plain English: An influential person is someone who has enough power to change what other people do or think.
"The report highlighted an influential in pushing for new environmental policies, though such figures are rarely cited directly by name."
having or exercising influence or power
"an influential newspaper"
"influential leadership for peace"
Having or exerting influence.
"The influential leader managed to change the entire policy through her persuasive arguments."
In plain English: Influential means having enough power to change what other people think, feel, or do.
"The influential teacher inspired many students to pursue careers in science."
The word influential comes from the Medieval Latin īnfluentiālis, which was formed by adding a suffix to the root meaning "flowing into." This term traveled into English through French, eventually describing something that has the power to have an effect on others.