proselyte

[ pros-uh-lahyt ]
See synonyms for proselyte on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who has changed from one opinion, religious belief, sect, or the like, to another; convert.

verb (used with or without object),pros·e·lyt·ed, pros·e·lyt·ing.

Origin of proselyte

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Late Latin prosēlytus, from Greek (Septuagint) prosḗlytos, for unattested prosḗlythos “newcomer, proselyte,” equivalent to prosēlyth- (suppletive stem of prosérchesthai “to approach”) + -os noun suffix

Other words for proselyte

Other words from proselyte

  • pros·e·lyt·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use proselyte in a sentence

  • Proselyting Buddhists, however, found their way from India and brought civilization with them.

    Travels in the Far East | Ellen Mary Hayes Peck

British Dictionary definitions for proselyte

proselyte

/ (ˈprɒsɪˌlaɪt) /


noun
  1. a person newly converted to a religious faith or sect; a convert, esp a gentile converted to Judaism

verb
  1. a less common word for proselytize

Origin of proselyte

1
C14: from Church Latin prosēlytus, from Greek prosēlutos recent arrival, convert, from proserchesthai to draw near

Derived forms of proselyte

  • proselytism (ˈprɒsɪlɪˌtɪzəm), noun
  • proselytic (ˌprɒsɪˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012