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cult of personality

American  

noun

  1. a cult promoting adulation of a living national leader or public figure, as one encouraged by Stalin to extend his power.


Etymology

Origin of cult of personality

Probably earlier than 1965–70; translation of Russian kulʾt líchnosti


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.

See Examples For:

The Musk mythos and his so-called cult of personality, according to experts.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026

Most crucially, Kim Il Sung built up an extraordinary cult of personality around himself that was durable enough to hand down to his son and then his grandson, the current leader Kim Jong Un.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026

The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron grip for decades, and a cult of personality surrounding their so-called "Paektu bloodline" dominates daily life in the isolated country.

From Barron's ● Jan. 2, 2026

There’s something to be said for a cult of personality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2025

She also said he had an advantage over other North Koreans: he had not been contaminated by propaganda or the cult of personality that surrounds the Kim dynasty.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

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