Definition of cult
1 : formal religious veneration : worship
2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents the cult of Apollo
3 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious (see spurious 2); also : its body of adherents the voodoo cult a satanic cult
4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator health cults
5a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book) criticizing how the media promotes the cult of celebrity; especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fadb : the object of such devotionc : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion the singer's cult of fans The film has a cult following.
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Examples of cult in a Sentence
She has developed a cult following.
long after it had gone off the air, the TV series continued to have a huge cult
Recent Examples of cult from the Web
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That phase could take awhile, but eventually, ISIS will go the same way as other cults in Muslim history.
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SEOUL, South Korea -- Set on 250 sprawling acres in North Korea's capital, the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology obeys the rules of the Kim family cult.
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Pryor believed Confederate veterans especially deserved the sympathy of the American people for their steadfastness in a cause against overwhelming odds, an idea in which the Lee cult also rested.
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However, that seems to be only the beginning of it, as cult fave makeup brand e.l.f.
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For decades she's had a strong underground cult following among music collectors, DJ's from around the globe, and yogis.
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Families struggled; cults formed; life went on, and sometimes that seemed impossible to accept.
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Sure, Twin Peaks fans aren't the target consumers for the Song of the Summer, but having appeared in the new season of the cult hit, this might be the breakthrough moment Chromatics were created for.
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In terms of movies, Chasing Amy, the late-'90s cult classic, starring a young, goateed Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, and Joey Lauren Adams, was the first time most people had seen a bisexual character in the movies.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cult'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The overlap of cults and culture
Cult, which shares an origin with culture and cultivate, comes from the Latin cultus, a noun with meanings ranging from "tilling, cultivation" to "training or education" to "adoration." In English, cult has evolved a number of meanings following a fairly logical path. The earliest known uses of the word, recorded in the 17th century, broadly denoted "worship." From here cult came to refer to a specific branch of a religion or the rites and practices of that branch, as in "the cult of Dionysus." By the early 18th century, cult could refer to a non-religious admiration or devotion, such as to a person, idea, or fad ("the cult of success"). Finally, by the 19th century, the word came to be used of "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious."
Origin and Etymology of cult
French & Latin; French culte, from Latin cultus care, adoration, from colere to cultivate — more at wheel
First Known Use: 1613
Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms
Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra
CULT Defined for English Language Learners
cult
playDefinition of cult for English Language Learners
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: a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous
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: a situation in which people admire and care about something or someone very much or too much
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: a small group of very devoted supporters or fans
Medical Dictionary
cult
Medical Definition of cult
culture
Learn More about cult
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cult Spanish Central: Translation of cult Nglish: Translation of cult for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cult for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cult
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