Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To convert someone to Christianity, particularly by preaching the Christian gospel.
   • To preach or advocate for a particular doctrine, cause, or belief with great enthusiasm and conviction.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To act as an evangelist; to preach the gospel, especially in the manner of a missionary.

Usage and Examples

• Transitive verb (to convert/preach to someone):
  • The missionaries sought to evangelise the remote tribe.
  • He tries to evangelise his colleagues about the benefits of the new software.
• Intransitive verb (to preach/advocate):
  • After his conversion, he felt called to evangelise.
  • She evangelises for environmental conservation at every opportunity.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• Secular/Figurative Use: Commonly used in non-religious contexts to mean promoting an idea or product with missionary-like zeal.
  • The CEO evangelised the company's vision to all new employees.
• "To evangelise to/among": Often followed by a preposition to indicate the target audience.
  • Their mission was to evangelise among the urban poor.

Variants and Related Words

• Evangelize: The standard spelling in American English. "Evangelise" is the common spelling in British English.
• Evangelism (n): The act or practice of evangelising.
  • His life was dedicated to evangelism.
• Evangelist (n): A person who evangelises; a preacher of the gospel.
  • She is a leading evangelist for digital privacy.
• Evangelical (adj): Pertaining to the gospel or to evangelism; also used to describe a fervent, zealous advocate.
  • He holds evangelical Christian beliefs.

Synonyms

• Proselytize: To convert or attempt to convert someone from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.
• Preach: To publicly proclaim or teach (a religious message or belief).
• Propagate: To spread and promote (an idea, theory, etc.) widely.
• Convert: To change someone's religious faith or beliefs.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

• Evangelise about/for: To preach or advocate enthusiastically on behalf of something.
  • He constantly evangelises about the importance of a healthy diet.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• To evangelise the masses: To preach to or attempt to convert a large number of people.
  • The revival meeting aimed to evangelise the masses.
• Digital/Technology Evangelist: A modern, secular title for someone who passionately promotes a specific technology or digital platform.
  • He works as a technology evangelist for a major software firm.

Verb

1. convert to Christianity
   • The missionaries evangelized the Pacific Islanders
2. preach the gospel (to)