Convert

Convert
Convert Con"vert, n. 1. A person who is converted from one opinion or practice to another; a person who is won over to, or heartily embraces, a creed, religious system, or party, in which he has not previously believed; especially, one who turns from the controlling power of sin to that of holiness, or from unbelief to Christianity. [1913 Webster]

The Jesuits did not persuade the converts to lay aside the use of images. --Bp. Stillingfleet. [1913 Webster]

2. A lay friar or brother, permitted to enter a monastery for the service of the house, but without orders, and not allowed to sing in the choir.

Syn: Proselyte; neophyte.

Usage: {Convert}, {Proselyte}, {Pervert}. A convert is one who turns from what he believes to have been a decided error of faith or practice. Such a change may relate to religion, politics, or other subjects. properly considered, it is not confined to speculation alone, but affects the whole current of one's feelings and the tenor of his actions. As such a change carries with it the appearance of sincerity, the term convert is usually taken in a good sense. Proselyte is a term of more ambiguous use and application. It was first applied to an adherent of one religious system who had transferred himself externally to some other religious system; and is also applied to one who makes a similar transfer in respect to systems of philosophy or speculation. The term has little or no reference to the state of the heart. Pervert is a term of recent origin, designed to express the contrary of convert, and to stigmatize a person as drawn off perverted from the true faith. It has been more particulary applied by members of the Church of England to those who have joined the Roman Catholic Church. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • convert — con‧vert [kənˈvɜːt ǁ ˈvɜːrt] verb [transitive] to change or make something change from one thing to another: convert something to/​into something • energy consumption that could readily be converted from oil to natural gas • bonds that can be… …   Financial and business terms

  • convert — vb *transform, metamorphose, transmute, transmogrify, transfigure Analogous words: manufacture, fabricate, forge, *make: apply, utilize, employ, *use convert n Convert, proselyte are synonyms only in being applicable to the same person. Both… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • convert — con·vert /kən vərt/ vt 1 a: to change from one form or use to another b: to exchange (property) for another esp. of a different kind if property...is compulsorily or involuntarily convert ed Internal Revenue Code; esp: to exercise the right of… …   Law dictionary

  • Convert — Con*vert , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Converted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Converting}.] [L. convertere, versum; con + vertere to turn: cf. F. convertir. See {Verse}.] 1. To cause to turn; to turn. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] O, which way shall I first convert… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • convert — [n] new believer catechumen, disciple, follower, neophyte, novice, novitiate, proselyte; concept 361 convert [v1] change; adapt alter, apply, appropriate, commute, downlink, download, interchange, make, metamorphose, modify, remodel, reorganize,… …   New thesaurus

  • Convert — Nom surtout porté dans l Ain, la région lyonnaise et l Auvergne. Désigne celui qui est converti au christianisme, ou encore un frère convers (personne qui se consacre aux travaux manuels dans un couvent). Variante : Convers (43, 70, 74).… …   Noms de famille

  • convert — [kən vʉrt′; ] for n. [ kän′vʉrt΄] vt. [ME converten < OFr convertir < L convertere < com , together + vertere, to turn: see VERSE] 1. to change from one form or use to another; transform [convert grain into flour] 2. to cause to change… …   English World dictionary

  • Convert — Con*vert , v. i. To be turned or changed in character or direction; to undergo a change, physically or morally. [1913 Webster] If Nebo had had the preaching that thou hast, they [the Neboites] would have converted. Latimer. [1913 Webster] A red… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • convert — is pronounced with stress on the first syllable as a noun and on the second syllable as a verb …   Modern English usage

  • convert — ► VERB 1) change in form, character, or function. 2) change (money, stocks, or units in which a quantity is expressed) into others of a different kind. 3) adapt (a building) to make it suitable for a new purpose. 4) change one s religious faith… …   English terms dictionary

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