proselytize
verb
Did you know?
Proselytize comes from the noun proselyte, meaning “a new convert,” which in turn ultimately comes from the Greek prosēlytos, meaning “stranger” or “newcomer.” When proselytize entered English in the 17th century, it had a distinctly religious connotation and meant simply “to recruit religious converts.” This meaning is still common, but today one can also proselytize in a broader sense—recruiting converts to one’s political party or pet cause, for example.
Examples of proselytize in a Sentence
Nicholas Dawidoff, Sports Illustrated, 19 Aug. 1991
His prodigious correspondence with twenty-five hundred scientists, politicians, and men of letters … proselytized for his new science of statistics.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983
He uses his position to proselytize for the causes that he supports.
the efforts of early missionaries to proselytize the Native Americans of Minnesota were largely unproductive
Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
More than half the U.S. population is now able to legally purchase marijuana with a debit card, and plenty of today’s white-collar professionals will happily proselytize about the beneficial effects of microdosing acid or mushrooms or ketamine.
—Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2024
During a recent Sunday morning service, Rodriguez, originally from Puerto Rico, was dressed casually and proselytized in English and Spanish.
—Aarne Heikkila, NBC News, 6 Sep. 2024
The Red Clay Strays may not explicitly be out to proselytize, but Made by These Moments does have the power to convert — at least to rock & roll.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for proselytize 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proselytize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Proselytize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proselytize. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
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proselytize
verb
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