cargo cult
noun
: any of various Melanesian religious groups characterized by the belief that material wealth (such as money or manufactured goods) can be obtained through ritual worship
Examples of cargo cult in a Sentence
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The attempts to re-use the anti-Soviet playbook have the flavor of a cargo cult.
—
Steve Larkin, The Week, 22 Mar. 2022
So far, Neom is less a city than an urbanist cargo cult.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2022
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Steve Larkin, The Week, 22 Mar. 2022
So far, Neom is less a city than an urbanist cargo cult.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Cargo cult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cargo%20cult. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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