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
  • Lexie Arthur, 2026, SS Arthur, an uncommitted recruit, is hitting .426 with 26 hits and 29 runs through April 7.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The former four-star recruit imposes his will in the run game and doesn’t take kindly to defenders who try to bull-rush his pocket.
    Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That converts to a 0.093% blood alcohol content by volume.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Moments later, Jake Guentzel was unable to convert on a golden opportunity.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The increase was mainly a result of the massive influx of out-of-state newcomers sparked by the rise of remote work, which allowed many Americans to relocate to more affordable, more livable cities and turn their back on expensive metropolises.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
  • First as Jacques Demy’s Madonna figure in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), then in films by Truffaut, Polanski, and Buñuel, then during her stint in Hollywood and her later career as Andre Téchiné’s muse and inspiration to Millennial newcomers, Deneuve embodies a leftist French cinema ideal.
    Armond White, National Review, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And Justice Elena Kagan pointed out that some religions proselytize and some don’t.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Scherzer has been proselytizing his argument for several years, as M.L.B. has continued to study the issue with what appears to be more intellectual curiosity than urgency.
    Bruce Schoenfeld Robert Fass Tanya Pérez Brian St. Pierre, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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