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
-
Once an elite recruit, Klubnik entered the 2025 season as a Heisman Trophy contender before a down year diminished his draft stock.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In four seasons as South Dakota State’s starter, the former no-star recruit led the Jackrabbits to three FCS national championship games (two wins) and set several school records before joining the Hawkeyes last season.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Decadents often end up converting to Catholicism.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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In a financial environment where nothing feels certain, the ability to convert a lump sum of savings into a predictable monthly check — one that doesn't fluctuate based on what the market is doing — carries real value.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
And Gersten, a 34-year-old county analyst and political newcomer, is making the case that fresh eyes and practical thinking are what Chula Vista needs.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
That’s not to say the Dolphins didn’t potentially reach — a few names certainly come to mind — yet how well these players perform will be the ultimate determinate of whether general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, coach Jeff Hafley and the rest of the franchise’s newcomers can evaluate talent.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Opponents have argued that hanging the Ten Commandments in classrooms proselytizes to students and amounts to religious indoctrination by the government.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
For the other Massachusetts millenials out there, Bertucci’s (and those of us who proselytize it) did get a shoutout.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proselyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proselyte. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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