proselytize

American  

[pros-uh-li-tahyz] / ˈprɒs ə lɪˌtaɪz /

especially British, proselytise

verb (used with or without object)

• proselytizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• proselytized,
  past participle,  past
• proselytizing
  present participle

1. to convert or attempt to convert as a proselyte; recruit to a religion or other belief system.

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proselytize British  

/ ˈprɒsɪlɪˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to convert (someone) from one religious faith to another

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• proselytization
  noun
• proselytizer
  noun
• proselytistic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• proselytizing
  present
• proselytized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• proselytize
  simple
• proselytizes
  simple
• have proselytized
  perfect
• has proselytized
  perfect
• am proselytizing
  progressive
• are proselytizing
  progressive
• is proselytizing
  progressive
• have been proselytizing
  perfect progressive
• has been proselytizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• proselytized
  simple
• had proselytized
  perfect
• was proselytizing
  progressive
• were proselytizing
  progressive
• had been proselytizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will proselytize
  simple
• will have proselytized
  perfect
• will be proselytizing
  progressive
• will have been proselytizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of proselytize

First recorded in 1670–80; proselyte + -ize

Compare meaning

How does proselytize compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• proselytize vs. evangelize

Explanation

To proselytize is to try to persuade someone to switch to your religious beliefs or your way of living. If you are going to proselytize, try not to be too pushy! The word proselytize can specifically refer to religious evangelism, as in: "Proselytizing is a fundamental component of Mormonism." Proselytize, however, can also be used for any situation when people are trying to convince others to try something or to join something. TV ads proselytize about the pleasures of life with mouthwash, friends proselytize about how great their favorite video games are, and parents proselytize about the benefits of eating vegetables.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

proselytize proselytizes proselytized proselytizing

Pratt needed to proselytize — not preach to the choir.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

The result of all this history is the echo that still persists in the contemporary views of human-rights organizations, with their definitions of religious freedom as centered around the freedom to proselytize.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

Aster is careful not to pass judgment or overtly proselytize, favoring a mode of storytelling that gets as close to the truth as possible while leading with objectivity.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2025

I’m not here to proselytize, but if you have a hankering to join in on the photo fun, tools like Wikishootme show you nearby landmarks that need photos.

From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2023

“To proselytize means to preach a certain way of thinking, in this case the cause of the Survivalists,” I answer, mentally calculating distance and time.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

This one is credited to fitness influencer Dr. Paul Saladino, author of “The Carnivore Code,” who proselytizes the health benefits of eating animal organs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024

Turner now proselytizes in the Dodgers clubhouse, teaching or reinforcing the beliefs of talented young hitters like Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager, and even influencing some hitting instructors like Hyers.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2019

Koch proselytizes for integrated information theory, which holds that even a single proton might be a little bit conscious.

From Scientific American ● Dec. 4, 2017

As the founder of the Lit City Trax record label, Imanian-Friedman, also called J-Cush, proselytizes for a variety of dance-music subgenres from around the world, most notably Chicago’s relentlessly herky-jerky footwork scene.

From The New Yorker ● Mar. 23, 2015

But it is the tangible and the immediate that occupy and preoccupy Dubos; at 70, he proselytizes like a young man with a mission.

From Time Magazine Archive

Muslims ruled large parts of India from the early 13th to the 19th century, and during this era Muslim preachers and Sufi mystics actively proselytized for Islam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

Houston proselytized for Inuit art, bringing it to international museum audiences and founding what would become Kinngait Studios.

From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2022

X says she was not proselytized, let alone "radicalized," by a Muslim chaplain or anyone else.

From Salon ● May 8, 2022

From his apartment, he proselytized to guests like Outterbridge, David Hammons and Judson Powell.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2021

As Regina had proselytized all her life for various causes—always liberal and humanistic ones—so, too, Bobby had become a proselytizer.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

It makes sense that proselytizing religions would see the potential of the algorithm.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

Instead, Jim donated it to the Boys and Girls Club—a nod to the foster-care system that had raised him while his father toured the country proselytizing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

She’s been holding Zoom meetings for neighbors, proselytizing just this month when she hosted a community potluck where 70 people watched her lay the first few Perfect Blocks of her fireproof home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2025

Within five years, the chant “Hare Krishna” was everywhere: among throngs of devotees proselytizing in airports; in “Hair”; in a No. 1 hit song by George Harrison.

From New York Times ● May 22, 2024

Doubly convinced by Mendel’s experimental data, and by his own evidence, Bateson set about proselytizing.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee