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
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
  • Etheridge helped recruit numerous blue-chip recruits at his last Power 4 job — which was at his alma mater, Auburn.
    Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Trump was ultimately forced to revise that proposal, banning new transgender recruits but allowing existing trans troops to stay in the military.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Here Meanwhile, a new regional piece of legislation is being drafted — and is up for approval this week — that would remove norms that currently prevent Rome movie theaters from being converted into any other type of business besides being a cultural space.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Figuring out whether to do a conversion and precisely how much to convert in each future year is immensely complicated.
    Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • There are dozens of other newcomers to the big leagues who could determine the course of the 2025 title chases.
    Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Clueless featured the track in one of the film’s scenes where protagonist Cher (Alicia Silverstone) directs an impromptu photoshoot of the movie’s popular high schoolers and includes newcomer Tai (Brittany Murphy).
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Elder Price, a seemingly perfect young Mormon man, gets teamed up with the dorky and clingy Elder Cunningham for their mission assignment — an odd couple that proselytizes together.
    Vulture Editors, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
  • However, the state's Supreme Court ruled the Catholic Charities Bureau's work is not primarily religious because the organization employs people who aren't Catholic and doesn't proselytize.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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