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
  • Building a roster, and a team, is a one-year venture; coaches who sell earning a diploma and a four-year experience to a recruit are begging to be fired.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2025
  • How this window ends with Cunha going or not and vital new recruits may well determine the outcome .It all feels sadly depressing with very little in the future to be optimistic about with these dreadful owners .
    Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • On the ensuing possession, Rice was fouled and converted the first of two free throws with 22 seconds to go.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Advertisement Also, last month, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office.
    Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Several of our friends disembarked in Salt Lake City and newcomers joined in the middle of the night.
    Christin Parcerisa Vigueras, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The Bruins have lost four consecutive games against conference veterans after winning two games against fellow Big Ten newcomers Washington and Oregon.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Whether Jews proselytized in this period and how much have been subjects of scholarly debate.
    Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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