cult

[ kuhlt ]

/ kʌlt /

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noun

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.

adjective

of or relating to a cult.

of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cult

1610–20; <Latin cultus habitation, tilling, refinement, worship, equivalent to cul-, variant stem of colere to inhabit, till, worship + -tus suffix of v. action

OTHER WORDS FROM cult

cultic, cul·tu·al

[kuhl-choo-uhl], /ˈkʌl tʃu əl/, adjectivecultish, adjectivean·ti·cult, noun, adjective

Words nearby cult

culpability, culpable, culpable homicide, Culpeper, culprit, cult, cultch, cultellus, cultic, cultigen, cultish

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 Post
Earlier 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|TechCrunch
Those 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 Technica
Once 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 Post

Plus, 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|DAILY BEAST
Malone 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|DAILY BEAST
The 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|DAILY BEAST
The cult of corporatism allows us to reimagine the corporation as our ultimate access point to the infinitude of possibility.
All Hail Shingy, AOL’s Goblin King|James Poulos|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
In 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 Tarbell
Surely the doctrines of Christianity would stand like a barricade against this monstrous cult.
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair
Since 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

cult

/ (kʌlt) /

noun

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 activitythe 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 cultsa cult figure

Derived forms of cult

cultism, nouncultist, noun

Word Origin for cult

C17: from Latin cultus cultivation, refinement, from colere to till

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

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 term cult often suggests extreme beliefs and bizarre behavior.

cult

Origin of cult

OTHER WORDS FROM cult

Words nearby cult

Words related to cult

How to use cult in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cult

Derived forms of cult

Word Origin for cult

Cultural definitions for cult

notes for cult