proselyte 1 of 2

Definition of proselytenext
as in recruit
a person who has recently been persuaded to join a religious sect an adult proselyte who had only recently been baptized

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

proselyte

2 of 2

verb

as in to convert
to persuade to change to one's religious faith she's been trying to proselyte everyone in the office ever since she joined that church

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of proselyte
Noun
Seneca went on to become a proselyte for the Stoic path, extolling its benefits in a long run of prose essays while also serving—in some eyes, dishonorably—as an adviser to Nero. James Romm, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2021 In order to understand this idea, the special relationship between God and the proselyte must be examined. Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 17 May 2021 Kitselman also became a proselyte for the history of Waterford, helping to create educational programming at the town’s Second Street School. Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2021 Christian Angermayer is an unlikely proselyte of psychedelia: The German financier didn’t drink so much as a sip of beer for the first three decades of his life. Meghana Keshavan, Scientific American, 9 July 2019 Enter proselytes in acetate eyeglasses and Rosie Pope workwear, drawn by listservs like Brooklynitos and Fort Greene Kids and BoCoCa Moms (BoCoCa being an acronym for three adjacent Brooklyn neighborhoods). Sonja Sharp, latimes.com, 27 June 2018 The authors observe that Yemeni Jews share elevated IBD with other Jewish populations, suggesting more than an indigenous proselyte origin for this community. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proselyte
Noun
  • Isak’s injury problems did not make things easier for the Swedish striker to settle while Florian Wirtz, another expensive attacking recruit at 116 million pounds, did not score his first goal until after Christmas.
    Mark Hodge, NBC news, 30 May 2026
  • Things take an odd turn for the young recruit as a mysterious virtual screen appears only to Seong-jae, assigning him a mission to cook for his fellow soldiers.
    Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • In a July 2015 memorandum, the county suggested purchasing a lot near the Bethel House to be converted into a parking lot, then give it to the Bethel House upon completion.
    Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
  • In early January, Chan and five other quantum chemists based out of the California Institute of Technology reached a key milestone in understanding the enzyme nitrogenase, which converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and makes life on our planet possible.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Gulbranson is a political newcomer.
    Saige Miller, NPR, 31 May 2026
  • There are always newcomers trying to leave their mark.
    Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Related Stories For decades, mainstream Hollywood entertainment generally shied away from environmental themes out of concern that audiences would see it as homework, or even worse, as proselytizing.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 May 2026
  • The National Federation of Federal Employees and several individual USDA employees sued the department on May 13, alleging that Secretary Brooke Rollins has illegally proselytized workers.
    BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 13 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on proselyte

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster