What does influentially mean?
Influentially is an adverb meaning in a way that has a strong power to affect people, decisions, or events. It describes the manner in which something acts rather than naming the power itself. For example, saying that a person's advice was influentially incorporated into a policy suggests that the advice substantially shaped the policy's content. The word is formal and less common than the closely related adjective influential, which is usually preferred in everyday and journalistic writing. It is most useful when emphasizing the degree to which someone or something had an effect, especially when describing the shaping of public opinion, institutional decisions, creative work, or historical events. In British and American English, its meaning and usage are broadly the same.
adverbIn a way that has the power to affect opinions, decisions, behaviour, or the course of events.
- In a manner or to a degree that influences people, decisions, or events.
"The director's advice was influentially incorporated into the new policy."
"The director's advice was influentially incorporated into the new policy."
"Early supporters were influentially involved in shaping the campaign's message."
The word 'influentially' captures the idea of doing something in a way that can genuinely shape decisions, opinions, and events.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does influentially come from?
The word is formed from influential, which in turn comes from influence. Influence ultimately derives from Latin influere, meaning 'to flow in', and entered English through Old French. The Latin root combines the prefix in- with fluere, 'to flow', and is also reflected in words such as influent and affluent.
Related word forms
How influentially is actually used
Formal and relatively uncommon; the adjective 'influential' is often more natural in modern English.
Easily confused with influentially
Influence is usually a noun referring to the power to affect people or events, while influentially is an adverb describing the manner or degree of that effect.