under the influence Definition

influence
noun

1. The power that one person or thing has to affect another.

Thesaurus: attraction, sway, magnetism, spell, charisma, appeal.
Form: influence on someone or something (especially)
Form: influence over someone or something
2. A person or thing that has such a power.

Example: be a good influence on him
3. Power resulting from political or social position, wealth, ability, standards of behaviour, etc

Example: a man of some influence
Example: Couldn't you use your influence to get me a ticket?
Thesaurus: control, authority, power, clout (slang), domination, weight, command, supremacy, prerogative, esteem, prestige, importance, pull (slang).

verb influenced, influencing

1. To have an effect, especially an indirect or unnoticed one, on (a person or their work, or events, etc).

Example: Rock and roll influenced his music greatly
Thesaurus: sway, affect, impress, guide, motivate.
2. To exert influence on someone or something; to persuade.

Example: Her encouraging letter influenced me to stay
Thesaurus: manipulate, persuade, instigate, motivate, incite, impel, rouse.

Idiom: under the influence

colloq
Affected by alcohol; drunk.

Etymology: 14c in an astrological sense, referring to a substance thought to flow out from the stars and exert power over human destinies, etc: French, from Latin influere to flow into.