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
  • For example, the number of white recruits in fiscal 2024 decreased to 40.5% from the 52.7% who joined in 2020 while the number of Black and Hispanic recruits increased.
    Luis Martinez, ABC News, 3 June 2025
  • Texas Tech transfer Kevin Overton is also a starter-level player, and Abdul Bashir, one of the top juco recruits in the country, is another upside swing.
    CJ Moore, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Nearby Experiences Off-property, a 10-minute drive away, check into Havn, a WWII-era barge converted into a wellness spa docked in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
    Katie Nanton, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2025
  • According to Academy rules, this converts the category into a juried award.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • Conversely, this set-up will help the newcomers into Antwerp to understand their role in the value chain.
    Gemma A. Williams, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • This followed the biggest casting of them all, the three young leads, who will be played by newcomers Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter), Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley) and Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger) in the HBO franchise that is set to run for a decade.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • The suit, which hopes to overturn the law, argues that the city’s ordinance violates the First Amendment and does not apply to other forms of speech, like a political candidate asking for support or a church member proselytizing.
    Vivienne Serret, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
  • However, state officials argue that the Catholic Charities Bureau does not qualify because its services—such as caring for the elderly and disabled—are not overtly religious or tied to proselytizing.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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