proselyte

[ pros-uh-lahyt ]
/ ˈprɒs əˌlaɪt /

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.

Origin of proselyte

1325–75; Middle English < Late Latin prosēlytus < Greek (Septuagint) prosḗlytos, for *prosḗlythos newcomer, proselyte, equivalent to prosēlyth- (suppletive stem of prosérchesthai to approach) + -os noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM proselyte

pros·e·lyt·er, noun

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), noun proselytic (ˌprɒsɪˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for proselyte

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