influence

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Power to effect decision

Nouns

1. influence, importance, weight, pressure, preponderance; predominance, predominancy (see superiority); power, sway; ascendancy; hegemony, reign, control, authority; bias, protection, patronage, auspices (see aid); purchase, support; play, leverage, impact, spin; cocktail diplomacy. Informal, clout. Slang, pull, drag, juice; casting couch. See cause.

2. patron, friend at court, power behind the throne, woman behind the man, old boy network, peer pressure, power broker, spin doctor. Slang, rainmaker.

Verbs

1. have influence, be influential; carry weight, weigh, tell; have a hold upon, sway, bias, pull the strings, militate; bear or work upon; swing one's weight; gain headway, have, get, or gain the upper hand. Informal, have the inside track, have it all over. Slang, have an in.

2. affect, impact or play on, make an impression on; prejudice; bribe (see payment); bring into line, lead by the nose, have a way with; move, budge, prompt, persuade, motivate, lean on; prevail upon, outweigh, over-weigh; override, overbear. Slang, have in one's pocket; cut ice.

Adjectives — influential, important (see importance); weighty; prevailing upon, proactive.

Adverbs — influentially, with telling effect.

Phrases — money talks.

Quotations — Life is a search after power (Emerson), All power, of whatever sort, is of itself desirable (Samuel Johnson), How to win friends and influence people (Dale Carnegie), A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops (Henry Adams).

Antonyms, see unimportance.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Attraction]

Syn. sway, spell, magnetism; see attraction 1 .

2. [Power to influence others]

Syn. control, weight, authority, supremacy, command, domination, leadership, power, leverage, prerogative, esteem, monopoly, rule, sway, hold, fame, prominence, prestige, character, reputation, force, impact, importance, significance, connections, power behind the throne*, clout*, juice*, pull*; see also impact 2 , leadership 1 , power 2 .

Syn.- influence implies the power of persons or things (whether or not exerted consciously or overtly) to affect others [ used his influence to get elected ] ; authority implies the power to command acceptance, belief, obedience, etc., based on strength of character, expertness of knowledge, etc. [ a statement made on good authority] ; prestige implies the power to command esteem or admiration, based on brilliance of achievement or outstanding superiority; weight implies influence that is more or less preponderant in its effect [ his viewpoint had Great weight with his colleagues ] v.

Syn. affect, sway, impress, incline, move, dispose, carry weight, count, be influential, determine, make oneself felt, have influence over, lead, touch, lead to believe, get into favor, bring pressure to bear, bribe, seduce, talk into, alter, change, modify, act upon, act on, brainwash, direct, control, regulate, rule, guide, compel, urge, incite, bias, prejudice, turn, train, channel, mold, form, shape, argue into, exercise influence, exert influence, have a part in, bear upon, impact, impact on, gain the confidence of, gain a hold upon, be recognized, make one's voice heard, manipulate, bend to one's will, induce, cajole, convince, persuade, inveigle, motivate, inspire, actuate, prevail over, get at*, have an in*, pull strings*, fix*, wear the pants*, have pull*, have clout*, twist around one's little finger*, have a finger in the pie*, lead by the nose*, have one's ear*, lobby through*, have the inside track*, have in one's pocket*.

See Synonym Study at affect .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

power, pull, control, clout, weight, authority, leadership, pressure, force, effect, dominance, sway.

II

v.

sway, control, persuade, move, incline, affect, act on, impact upon, impress, direct, turn, shape, *pull strings, manipulate.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. The power or capacity to produce a desired result: effect, effectiveness, effectuality, effectualness, efficaciousness, efficacy, efficiency, potency. See AFFECT. 2. The power to produce an effect by indirect means: leverage, sway, weight. Informal: clout. Slang: pull. See AFFECT. 3. The strong effect exerted by one person or thing on another: force, impact, impression, repercussion. See AFFECT. II verb To have an impact on in a certain way: dispose, incline, predispose, sway. See AFFECT, LIKE.