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proselyte

[ pros-uh-lahyt ]
/ ˈprɒs əˌlaɪt /
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See synonyms for: proselyte / proselyted / proselyting on Thesaurus.com

noun
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.
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Origin of proselyte

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 FROM proselyte

pros·e·lyt·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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
a person newly converted to a religious faith or sect; a convert, esp a gentile converted to Judaism
verb
a less common word for proselytize

Derived forms of proselyte

proselytism (ˈprɒsɪlɪˌtɪzəm), nounproselytic (ˌprɒsɪˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for proselyte

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