influential
If your grandfather worked his whole life in a circus and inspired you to wear clown shoes, you could describe your grandfather as very influential in your life. Something that exerts influence or power can be called influential.
You could read a deeply meaningful book that becomes influential to you, or there might be an important person in your life who is strongly influential over various decisions you make. The Latin word influentem, "flowing in," is the root of the Old French influence, which described the power was believed to flow from the stars.
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having or exercising influence or power“an influential newspaper”“influential leadership for peace”synonyms:prestigiousexerting influence by reason of high status or prestigeantonyms:uninfluentialnot influential
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Vocabulary lists containing influential
The word "important" says that something matters without telling us why or how. This list contains a multitude of terms for describing the central point, the big idea, or the main event. For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
Some familiar words flow from this root meaning "to flow," such as "influence," which may be looked at as a flow of power from one person to the other. Another word for "liquid," as you may know, is "fluid." More Latin Love, Volume II lists: cadere, iacere, onym, and vertere! ELA Common Core State Standard: "Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word."
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