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

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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

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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
  • The agency waived age limits for new recruits, relaxed its vetting process, and decreased the training period for incoming officers.
    Oriana van Praag, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Large protests create massive audiences and national media attention, allowing smaller ideological movements to spread their messaging, recruit activists and build momentum for campaigns that extend well beyond a single day of demonstrations.
    Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Toyota's decision to electrify the Highlander, but not the Grand Highlander, comes as environmental groups have criticized the world's largest automaker for being late to converting to producing fully electric vehicles.
    Keith Laing, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • DeBrincat opened the scoring by converting a rebound in front five seconds after Josh Norris was penalized for high sticking.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • And while Harrell continues his rehab, newcomer Cole Gonzales has been working with the first team, along with returner Grayson Loftis, who started seven games last season.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
  • But Bummer got out of the inning, and newcomer Osvaldo Bido (1-0) struck out the side in the ninth.
    Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The two firms that have proselytized the recapitalization of enterprise software the most in this field are Thoma Bravo, with about $184 billion in assets, and Vista Equity Partners, with about $100 billion.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Now in its 40th year, the foundation was established in honor of the eponymous chef who began his own culinary school, authored numerous cookbooks and proselytized cooking with whole foods.
    Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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