cult

cult

noun, often attributive \ˈkəlt\

Definition of CULT

1

: formal religious veneration : worship

2

: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents

3

: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents

4

: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults>

5

a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : the object of such devotion c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

— cul·tic \ˈkəl-tik\ adjective

— cult·ish \-tish\ adjective

— cult·ish·ly \-lē\ adverb

— cult·ish·ness \-nəs\ noun

— cult·ism \ˈkəl-ˌti-zəm\ noun

— cult·ist \ˈkəl-tist\ noun

— cult·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

Examples of CULT

1. She has developed a cult following.
2. <long after it had gone off the air, the TV series continued to have a huge cult>

Origin of CULT

French & Latin; French culte, from Latin cultus care, adoration, from colere to cultivate — more at wheel

First Known Use: 1617

Related to CULT

Synonyms: audience, followership, following

Related Words: discipleship; fandom

Near Antonyms: agnosticism, know-nothingism; atheism, godlessness, nonbelief, secularism, unbelief

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra