capacity to influence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "capacity to influence" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing someone's ability or potential to affect others' thoughts, behaviors, or decisions. Example: "Her capacity to influence her peers was evident during the group project, as she was able to motivate everyone to contribute their best work."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"It has the capacity to influence and change people's lives for the better," he said.

The New York Times - Arts

"Wilkes became a brand because of his capacity to influence how people dressed well," Mayor Brown told me.

The New Yorker

Those who would force changes by playing a divide-and-rule game grossly exaggerate America's capacity to influence Pakistani politics.

The New York Times

As the number of black police officers has increased, so has their capacity to influence the organisational cultures, policies and routine practices of policing.

The Guardian

Britain cannot act effectively alone, but its capacity to influence debate depends on our commitment to taking tough decisions needed to green the economy.

The Guardian - Opinion

"It will be similar to this year, with as many people in the street, but with much more capacity to influence what happens in this country".

The Guardian

We know, however, that multinational corporations are powerful and their capacity to influence decision making is also strong; so, we are facing a David v Goliath struggle.

The Guardian

Football is a sport of mass consumption and so football tournaments have more capacity to influence the will of the people than do political summits.

The Guardian

In fact, the capacity to influence radical groups can diminish significantly once they are viewed as indispensable coalition partners and are able to intimidate the electorate with the authority of the state behind them.

The New York Times

And anyone looking to this race for a sign that Trump's capacity to influence and distort the G.O.P. has waned — that, somehow, political sanity has taken hold — should not get too excited.

The New Yorker

She identified three areas in which academia lagged behind thinktanks in its capacity to influence policy: failure to produce clear outcomes without caveats; reluctance to clearly define policy implications; and difficulty in communicating findings in an accessible way.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing an individual's or group's ability to affect outcomes, use "capacity to influence" to denote the extent of their agency or power within a particular situation.

Common error

Avoid using "capacity to influence" when the actual impact is minimal or unproven. Instead, consider more nuanced phrases like "potential to affect" or "limited influence" to accurately reflect the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "capacity to influence" functions as a noun phrase, describing the extent of someone or something's ability to have an effect on something else. Ludwig AI confirms the validity and common usage of this phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "capacity to influence" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to describe the degree of impact or sway an entity possesses. Ludwig AI affirms its correctness and common usage. Analysis reveals that it's most prevalent in news, scientific, and formal business contexts, indicating its versatility across various domains. While alternatives like "ability to sway" or "potential to impact" exist, the core meaning remains consistent. When employing this phrase, ensure the claimed influence is substantiated and accurately reflects the situation to avoid overstatements.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ability to sway

Replaces "capacity" with "ability" and "influence" with "sway", focusing on persuasive power.

power to influence

Substitutes "capacity" with "power", emphasizing authority or control.

potential to affect

Replaces "capacity" with "potential" and "influence" with "affect", highlighting possibility rather than current ability.

ability to shape

Uses "shape" instead of "influence", implying a more direct and formative impact.

potential to impact

Employs "impact" as a synonym for "influence", suggesting a significant effect.

leverage to influence

Replaces "capacity" with "leverage", focusing on strategic advantage to exert influence.

means to sway

Highlights the resources or methods used to exert persuasive power.

capability to affect

Swaps "capacity" for "capability" and "influence" for "affect", slightly changing the tone.

resources to impact

Emphasizes the availability of resources that enable the influencing action.

room to maneuver

Expresses indirect influence through strategic positioning and flexibility.

FAQs

How can I use "capacity to influence" in a sentence?

You can use "capacity to influence" to describe someone's ability to affect others or a situation. For example: "Her "capacity to influence" the team's decisions was significant."

What's the difference between "capacity to influence" and "ability to sway"?

"Capacity to influence" refers to the general ability to affect something, while "ability to sway" often implies a persuasive power over opinions or decisions.

What can I say instead of "capacity to influence"?

You can use alternatives like "power to influence", "ability to shape", or "potential to impact" depending on the specific context.

Is "capacity to influence" formal or informal?

"Capacity to influence" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and the overall tone of the writing.