Overinfluence

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Affecting someone or something to an excessive degree, exerting more sway than is appropriate or fair
2. Exerting too much pressure or control over a person, decision, or outcome beyond what is reasonable
3. Having an undue or disproportionate effect on the behavior, judgment, or result of a thing or person

Etymology: "Overinfluence" is a plain formation: the prefix "over-", meaning excessively or too much, attached to "influence." The base word "influence" came into English from Old French "influence," which in turn came from medieval Latin "influentia," a term that originally referred to an astrological flow of power from the stars. Over-, an old English prefix, has been used freely for centuries to mark excess, as in "overeat" or "overwork," so the combination needs no special explanation. The word is a straightforward compound of those two parts, with the sense of too much influence, meaning influence exerted beyond what is appropriate or healthy. Its meaning follows directly from the parts, so there is little more to trace beyond the components themselves.