cult
a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
the object of such devotion.
a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
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.
the members of such a religion or sect.
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.
of or relating to a cult.
of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.
Origin of cult
1Other words from cult
- cultic, cul·tu·al [kuhl-choo-uhl], /ˈkʌl tʃu əl/, adjective
- cultish, adjective
- an·ti·cult, noun, adjective
Words Nearby cult
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cult in a sentence
McDonald’s is also bringing back the cult favorite, the McRib, nationwide for the first time in eight years.
The McPlant is coming. McDonald’s won’t name its supplier, but all signs point to Beyond Meat. | Tim Carman | November 10, 2020 | Washington PostEarlier this summer, audio startup Clubhouse raised eyebrows when it banked a $100 million early valuation, and just a few months ago, Roam, a note-taking app with a cult following raised a seed round on $200 million.
MSCHF’s Push Party raises an unconventional seed round at a $200 million valuation | Lucas Matney | November 9, 2020 | TechCrunchThose units have sold for heavily inflated prices on eBay as the hard-to-access demo has achieved cult classic status among horror game fans.
Sorry, you can’t move your discontinued copy of PT to the PS5 | Kyle Orland | November 9, 2020 | Ars TechnicaOnce FDR won, the cult of Eleanor was as wide as the Mississippi River.
A modest rebel: The paradoxical personality of Eleanor Roosevelt | Douglas Brinkley | November 6, 2020 | Washington PostPlus, Tyson is replacing federal inspectors with its own employees, and more news to start your dayMcDonald’s McRib sandwich has evolved into a cult obsession ever since its launch in 1981.
The McRib Is Returning to McDonald’s for the First Time Since 2012 | Jaya Saxena | October 30, 2020 | Eater
In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTMalone first met Anderson by chance over a decade ago following the release of the cult hit Donnie Darko.
Jena Malone’s Long, Strange Trip From Homelessness to Hollywood Stardom | Marlow Stern | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe cult of Pappy van Winkle By Elton Felton There are lines around the block and long waiting lists.
Eight Must-read Stories About Nicaragua, School Shooters and the New Republic | The Daily Beast | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe cult of corporatism allows us to reimagine the corporation as our ultimate access point to the infinitude of possibility.
The film was critically panned upon its release, but has since gained a cult following.
Charles Dance on Tywin Lannister’s S5 Return, A ‘Game of Thrones’ Movie,’ and Sexy Peter Dinklage | Marlow Stern | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn a series of lightning raids Port Adelaide police have arrested six teenagers who they claim are members of a sex cult.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents | Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.Vice Squad detectives say the cult indulged in sex and drug parties.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents | Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.They are children raised by a secret cult on my own world, trained into strange practices.
Valley of the Croen | Lee TarbellSurely the doctrines of Christianity would stand like a barricade against this monstrous cult.
Love's Pilgrimage | Upton SinclairSince the day when they had first received her, the Brodricks had established a regular cult of Jane Holland.
The Creators | May Sinclair
British Dictionary definitions for cult
/ (kʌlt) /
a specific system of religious worship, esp with reference to its rites and deity
a sect devoted to such a system
a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents
sociol a group having an exclusive ideology and ritual practices centred on sacred symbols, esp one characterized by lack of organizational structure
intense interest in and devotion to a person, idea, or activity: the cult of yoga
the person, idea, etc, arousing such devotion
something regarded as fashionable or significant by a particular group
(as modifier): a cult show
(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of a cult or cults: a cult figure
Origin of cult
1Derived forms of cult
- cultism, noun
- cultist, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for cult
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.)
Notes for cult
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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