distinction vs influence

distinction

noun
  • Specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished. 

  • That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination. 

  • The act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination. 

influence

noun
  • 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. 

  • A person or thing exerting such power or action. 

  • Electrostatic induction. 

  • 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. 

  • An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change. 

verb
  • To exert, make use of one's influence. 

  • 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. 

How often have the words distinction and influence occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )