'Western-influenced' is a modern English compound formed from 'Western' and 'influenced'. 'Western' originates from Old English 'western', where 'west' meant 'west'. 'Influenced' derives ultimately from Latin 'influere', via Old French 'influencer'/'influence' and Middle English 'influence', where the Latin root 'in-' meant 'into' and 'fluere' meant 'to flow'.

'influence' changed from Latin 'influere' to Old French 'influence'/'influencer' and entered Middle English as 'influence', later producing the past-participle/adjectival form 'influenced'; 'Western' changed from Old English 'western' through Middle English into modern English 'western', and the two were combined in Modern English to form the compound adjective 'Western-influenced'.

Initially the components referred separately to 'the west' (for 'Western') and the action/image of 'flowing into' or exerting effect (for 'influence'); over time, combined as 'Western-influenced' the phrase came to mean 'shaped or affected by Western ideas, culture, or practices'.