as in missioners
a person who is sent especially to a foreign country to do religious work (such as converting people to the religion or ministering to the sick)
The missionaries sent to the island were ultimately unsuccessful in converting the native residents.
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Recent Examples of missionaries
By the mid-sixties and seventies, Unification missionaries were flooding Japan.
—
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Before that, there were Picts, Celts, and early Christian missionaries (it is thought that the great Irish warrior-saint Columba may have visited Eilean Shona).
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
The informal garden style — of which the English garden is the most notable type — dates to the late 17th century when Jesuit missionaries began sending sketches of Chinese Imperial gardens back to England.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Hit the apps Diplomats, CEOs and missionaries often learn languages in high-intensity, immersive environments with dedicated instructors.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
After World War I, the US Navy operated the Yangtze Patrol, a flotilla of gunboats that protected American interests – including missionaries and oil companies – inside China during a lengthy period of warlordism and instability.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Like other Christian missionaries in the Western Hemisphere, Franciscans of the day argued that Indigenous peoples needed to abandon their traditional religions as part of the process of conversion.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
The missionaries had hoped to bring Christianity to the Waorani, which was an isolated tribe that fiercely defended their territory at that time.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 8 Jan. 2026
In the Netflix documentary, Evil Influencer, one of her fellow missionaries described Hildebrandt as a former beauty queen and basketball athlete who successfully convinced several people to convert to the LDS faith.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Before that, there were Picts, Celts, and early Christian missionaries (it is thought that the great Irish warrior-saint Columba may have visited Eilean Shona).
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
The informal garden style — of which the English garden is the most notable type — dates to the late 17th century when Jesuit missionaries began sending sketches of Chinese Imperial gardens back to England.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Hit the apps Diplomats, CEOs and missionaries often learn languages in high-intensity, immersive environments with dedicated instructors.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
After World War I, the US Navy operated the Yangtze Patrol, a flotilla of gunboats that protected American interests – including missionaries and oil companies – inside China during a lengthy period of warlordism and instability.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Like other Christian missionaries in the Western Hemisphere, Franciscans of the day argued that Indigenous peoples needed to abandon their traditional religions as part of the process of conversion.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
The missionaries had hoped to bring Christianity to the Waorani, which was an isolated tribe that fiercely defended their territory at that time.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 8 Jan. 2026
In the Netflix documentary, Evil Influencer, one of her fellow missionaries described Hildebrandt as a former beauty queen and basketball athlete who successfully convinced several people to convert to the LDS faith.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missionaries
Noun
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In the song’s video, a now familiar montage of protests and lockdown notices is intercut with shots of Mount Rushmore and soldiers waving flags.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
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Credit still flows to soldiers and sailors.—
Carter Dougherty,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What to expect at the installation Mass The longer-than-normal Mass will have a large attendance with many religious figures such as bishops, priests, deacons and other guests.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Plunging enrollment has dogged archdiocese schools for decades as tuition costs have climbed, while the number of free teachers (priests and nuns) has plummeted.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Missionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missionaries. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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