cult

American  

[kuhlt] / kʌlt /

noun

• cults
  plural

1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers.

   the physical fitness cult.

3. the object of such devotion.

4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.

6. 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.

7. the members of such a religion or sect.

8. 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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a cult.

2. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees.

   a cult movie.

cult British  

/ kʌlt /

noun

1. a specific system of religious worship, esp with reference to its rites and deity

2. a sect devoted to such a system

3. a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents

4. sociol a group having an exclusive ideology and ritual practices centred on sacred symbols, esp one characterized by lack of organizational structure

5. intense interest in and devotion to a person, idea, or activity

   the cult of yoga

6. the person, idea, etc, arousing such devotion

7. 1. something regarded as fashionable or significant by a particular group

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cult show

8. (modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of a cult or cults

   a cult figure

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cult Cultural  

1. In anthropology, an organization for the conduct of ritual, magical, or other religious observances. Many so-called primitive tribes, for example, have ancestor cults, in which dead ancestors are considered divine and activities are organized to respect their memory and invoke their aid. A cult is also a religious group held together by a dominant, often charismatic individual, or by the worship of a divinity, an idol, or some other object. (See animism (see also animism), fetish, and totemism.)

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Discover More

The term cult often suggests extreme beliefs and bizarre behavior.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticult
  noun
• cultism
  noun
• cultist
  noun
• cultic
  adjective
• cultish
  adjective
• cultual
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cults
  plural

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

Explanation

People argue about whether the major religions of the world are just well-established cults — that, age and size aside, they are no different from any group that follows a spiritual leader. A cult is group of people defined by a "religious" devotion to something — often a self-appointed leader. Most people view cults as strange and frightening, mostly because cults have, over the years, done some strange and frightening things, including murders and mass suicides. Sometimes, too, you'll see cult used as an adjective to describe something or someone with a small, devoted fan-base. John Water's movies are cult favorites, adored by a select group of film lovers but not by the public at large.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cult cults

Vozinha, the previously little-known Cape Verde goalkeeper, became a cult hero for his heroics against Spain - the 40-year-old's Instagram growing from 50,000 to nearly 30 million followers.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Root, a veteran character actor probably best known for his comedic roles like the nebbish Milton in Mike Judge’s cult classic “Office Space,” has had rare opportunities to flex his dramatic chops.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

It deserves to be seen as more than just a cult curio.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

As well as Ledley played, though, what elevated him to cult status was his post-match dancing in front of the Wales fans.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

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

But as with most cults, it is very secretive, and Swaine ran up against a brick wall — until he found a whistleblower who had a cache of documents.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

But virtually all cults are defined by one thing: a charismatic leader who exercises dominance over the flock.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

Since Niyazov's death in 2006, successive presidents -- Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his son Serdar -- have kept the system in place, along with the cults of personality and grand architecture.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

If you’re endlessly fascinated by cults and crave another documentary dose, this month brings two very different offerings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

They joined ecstatic cults and allowed sick refugees to desecrate the great temples, where they died untended.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• band
• church
• clan
• clique
• denomination
• faith
• religion
• sect