converso
noun
con·ver·so
kən-ˈver-(ˌ)sō 
kōn-
plural conversos
: a Jew who publicly recanted the Jewish faith and adopted Christianity under the pressure of the Spanish Inquisition
Examples of converso in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since then, the island has hosted a vivid procession of conquistadors, conversos, maroons, priests, pirates, prisoners, guano miners, military men, treasure hunters, scientists and refugees.
—
Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Amsterdam’s Jews were descended from Portuguese conversos, Jews forcibly converted to Catholicism at the end of the fifteenth century, who continued to practice their faith in secret for generations.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Piñer shows us how, during the Inquisition, the testimony of servants and merchants often was used as proof that a converso (a Jew who converted to Catholicism) was still participating in Jewish practices.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Amsterdam’s Jews were descended from Portuguese conversos, Jews forcibly converted to Catholicism at the end of the fifteenth century, who continued to practice their faith in secret for generations.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Piñer shows us how, during the Inquisition, the testimony of servants and merchants often was used as proof that a converso (a Jew who converted to Catholicism) was still participating in Jewish practices.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near converso
Cite this Entry
“Converso.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/converso. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share