The difference between Affect and Influence
When used as nouns, affect means one's mood or inclination, whereas influence means the power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone.
When used as verbs, affect means to influence or alter, whereas influence means to have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action.
check bellow for the other definitions of Affect and Influence
-
Affect as a verb (transitive):
To influence or alter.
Examples:
"The experience affected me deeply."
"The heat of the sunlight affected the speed of the chemical reaction."
-
Affect as a verb (transitive):
To move to emotion.
Examples:
"He was deeply affected by the tragic ending of the play."
-
Affect as a verb (transitive):
Of an illness or condition, to infect or harm (a part of the body).
Examples:
"Hepatitis affects the liver."
-
Affect as a verb (transitive, archaic):
To dispose or incline.
-
Affect as a verb (transitive, archaic):
To tend to by affinity or disposition.
-
Affect as a verb (transitive, archaic):
To assign; to appoint.
-
Affect as a verb (transitive):
To make a show of; to put on a pretence of; to feign; to assume. To make a false display of.
Examples:
"to affect ignorance"
"He managed to affect a smile despite feeling quite miserable."
-
Affect as a verb (obsolete, transitive):
To aim for, to try to obtain.
-
Affect as a verb (transitive, now, _, rare):
To feel affection for (someone); to like, be fond of.
-
Affect as a verb (transitive, obsolete):
To show a fondness for (something); to choose.
-
Affect as a noun (obsolete):
One's mood or inclination; mental state.
-
Affect as a noun (obsolete):
A desire, an appetite.
-
Affect as a noun (psychology):
A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs.
-
Influence as a noun:
The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.
Examples:
"I have absolutely no influence over him."
-
Influence as a noun:
An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change.
Examples:
"I'm not able to exercise influence over him."
-
Influence as a noun:
A person or thing exerting such power or action.
Examples:
"He has been a great influence on the voters during the elections."
-
Influence as a noun (astrology):
An element believed to determine someone's character or individual tendencies, caused by the position of the stars and planets at the time of one's birth.
-
Influence as a noun (obsolete):
The action of flowing in; influx.
-
Influence as a noun (electricity):
Electrostatic induction.
-
Influence as a verb (transitive):
To have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to persuade or induce.
Examples:
"The politician wants to influence the public."
"I must admit that this book influenced my outlook on life."
-
Influence as a verb (intransitive):
To exert, make use of one's influence.
-
Influence as a verb (transitive, obsolete):
To cause to flow in or into; infuse; instill.