word: proselytize

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

“Proselytize comes from the noun proselyte, meaning “a new convert,” which in turn 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.”