proselyte 1 of 2

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 older man wore a badge with a photo of himself as a new recruit.
    Bob Morris, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Following Saturday's loss to Clemson, Belichick said he's been honest with recruits about the long-term plan the Tar Heels have to build the program.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His meteoric rise captures how Silicon Valley converts zeitgeist into capital—and how that, in turn, can be parlayed into influence.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Adenstar was involved in the building work to convert Withdean Stadium — then an athletics track — into a stadium temporarily fit for fourth-tier football as the club aimed to return to Brighton.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And as if to show the newcomers what success looks like, Hamilton, in its 10th year on Broadway, scored its best-ever weekly gross, taking in a massive $4,042,906.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Spanning four decks, the newcomer can comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But Wall Street’s memory is short, and overseas audiences, which have proven resistant to patriotic American fare — James Gunn’s Superman being a case in point — may prove harder to proselytize.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Great tequila tends to earn converts, who then proselytize.
    Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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