Infidelize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause someone to abandon or lose their religious faith ; to persuade or influence a person to reject beliefs they formerly held true ; to lead an individual away from spiritual adherence
2. To induce a person to forsake their religious convictions ; to convert or sway someone away from previously accepted doctrines ; to transform a believer into a nonbeliever by changing their faith
3. To make an individual renounce their spiritual loyalty ; to encourage or prompt the rejection of previously held religious views ; to effect a shift in beliefs leading to lack of faith or loyalty in a faith system

Etymology: "Infidelize" is a plain formation: the noun "infidel" with the verbal suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to make or treat something in a certain way. "Infidel" came into English from Old French "infidele," itself from Latin "infidelis," meaning "unfaithful" or "without faith," built from "in-" (not) and "fidelis" (faithful). The noun has long been used of people who do not share a particular religious faith, which is why the verb carries the sense of turning believers away from their faith. The suffix "-ize" comes from Greek "-izein," and English has used it since the Middle Ages to create verbs such as "baptize" and "civilize." Adding it to "infidel" produces a verb that describes the act of making someone lose or abandon their belief.