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
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
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Recent Examples of proselyte
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2012
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
Rashi concludes that the text, therefore, must refer to a ger, a proselyte, who has died leaving no next of kin among the Jewish People.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 17 May 2021
The law of gezel hager (stealing from a proselyte) reminds us that the Torah was given to all Jews – including converts.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 17 May 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
Noun
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
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
Rashi concludes that the text, therefore, must refer to a ger, a proselyte, who has died leaving no next of kin among the Jewish People.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 17 May 2021
The law of gezel hager (stealing from a proselyte) reminds us that the Torah was given to all Jews – including converts.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 17 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proselyte
Noun
-
One of the top defensive line recruits out of high school three years ago, Woods almost immediately lived up to the hype as a Freshman All-American at Clemson.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
22 July 2025
-
Sometimes rural fire departments or hospitals wait months for new recruits to start training because the college can’t afford to run a class for just a couple students.—
Natalie Yahr,
jsonline.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
Through these innovations, the Sierra Energy has demonstrated a comprehensive, closed-loop solution for converting waste into clean energy and reusable materials—paving the way for a more sustainable future in both transportation and energy production.—
David Blekhman,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
And while consumer awareness is growing, education is still needed; overly complex terpene profiles can confuse rather than convert new buyers.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Gerard Butler, who played Viking chief Stoick the Vast, is also back — and he’s joined by newcomers Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz and Murray McArthur.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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She will be joined by fellow Shrek franchise veterans Mike Myers (Shrek) and Eddie Murphy (Donkey), as well as a newcomer to the cast: Zendaya, who will voice Shrek and Fiona's daughter Felicia.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
But chaplains today tend to draw from a range of texts and traditions, rather than proselytizing their own beliefs.—
Cornelia Powers,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2025
-
Liberal Justice Elena Kagan was among those questioning Wisconsin’s contention that one way organizations can get the exemption is by actively proselytizing.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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