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

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

Some 800 years later, Francis won’t be testing new diplomatic waters or seeking to proselytize Mongolia’s mostly Buddhist people when he arrives in the capital Ulaanbaatar Friday for a four-day visit.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 30, 2023

Our policy was to be friendly, to take an interest, to compliment them on their achievements, but not to proselytize.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

He’s already been volunteering at Echo Park and some community gardens, weeding and mulching while he proselytizes about the curative power of growing your own food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2023

Now, I am someone who proselytizes for the theatrical experience every chance I get.

From Slate ● Jan. 3, 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

The union proselytizes twelve men to get one more or less permanent member � and sooner or later he quits too.

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

As prisons filled and pastors proselytized inside, some gang members began converting to evangelicalism, a growing movement in El Salvador that preached the power of repentance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2023

She said the values around glamorized wealth and extreme thinness have only been proselytized wider as Ms. Zuckerbrot’s renown has grown.

From New York Times ● Aug. 24, 2020

Her reporting indicates that it's food media elites like you and me and others who have proselytized the most about brining.

From Salon ● Nov. 17, 2018

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

Why should freedom favor proselytizing faiths over those that don’t seek converts?

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

In that sense, Cronenberg’s films are eerily prescient allegories of our present-day techverse and proselytizing profiteers like Sam Altman and Elon Musk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2024

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

Many noted that they had built up audiences with little to no marketing, and saw no need to echo the aggressive proselytizing of their counterparts.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2024

I know she had the ring before Dad served a mission—which was expected of all faithful Mormon men—and spent two years proselytizing in Florida.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover