cult
Americannoun
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a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
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an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers.
the physical fitness cult.
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the object of such devotion.
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a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
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Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
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a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
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the members of such a religion or sect.
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any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
adjective
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of or relating to a cult.
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of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees.
a cult movie.
noun
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a specific system of religious worship, esp with reference to its rites and deity
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a sect devoted to such a system
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a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents
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sociol a group having an exclusive ideology and ritual practices centred on sacred symbols, esp one characterized by lack of organizational structure
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intense interest in and devotion to a person, idea, or activity
the cult of yoga
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the person, idea, etc, arousing such devotion
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something regarded as fashionable or significant by a particular group
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( as modifier )
a cult show
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(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of a cult or cults
a cult figure
Discover More
The term cult often suggests extreme beliefs and bizarre behavior.
Other Word Forms
- anticult noun
- cultic adjective
- cultish adjective
- cultism noun
- cultist noun
- cultual adjective
Etymology
Origin of cult
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin cultus “habitation, tilling, refinement, worship,” equivalent to cul-, variant stem of colere “to inhabit, till, worship” + -tus, suffix of verb action
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She adds a warning, “If a group ever asks you to agree with them on everything, it’s a cult.”
The French Revolution, by contrast, concentrated its energy into the Committee of Public Safety and cults of personality.
The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron grip for decades, and a cult of personality surrounding their "Paektu bloodline" dominates daily life in the isolated country.
From Barron's
Based on a cult manga, the second installment of a dark trilogy about revenge tackled social inequalities -- a hallmark of Korean cinema.
From Barron's
Based on a cult manga, the second instalment of a dark trilogy about revenge tackled social inequalities -- a hallmark of Korean cinema.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
