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
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
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
-
And in a news conference this week, New Orleans’ police superintendent questioned ICE’s arrest of one of the agency’s recruits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As detailed above, Benfica were off the pace in the league, out of the two Portuguese cups and seemingly heading out of Europe — all with a squad filled with questionable recruits, creaking veterans and unproven kids.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has recently appeared onstage with MAGA convert Nicki Minaj, and remade the Kennedy Center in his own name, atypically hosting its annual gala feting Kiss, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor and Michael Crawford.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
And similar to last year, one of the focuses will be on revitalizing and converting older buildings into modern office spaces, apartments and hotels.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, Roan was also on hand to introduce the Best New Artist of 2026 which ultimately went to newcomer Olivia Dean.—
Pamela Vázquez,
Glamour,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Indeed, its growing popularity has attracted newcomers from near and far, who've all made their unique mark in the community.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In that sense, this is an essential document, though Johnson is not proselytizing.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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