Main Entry:

cult

Pronunciation:

\ˈkəlt\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

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

Date:

1617

1: formal religious veneration : worship2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual ; also : its body of adherents3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious ; also : its body of adherents4: 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