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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."
Examples of cult in a Sentence
Judy Berman, Time, 10 July 2025
The other two are excellent as well, and Pine Needles hosted the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open.
Pine Needles and Mid-Pines have always had a cult following and serious players know how good the courses are.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
The Kinks remain one of the most beloved cult bands in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
The series, which first premiered in 2005, has become the longest-running live-action sitcom in American television history, and its cult following remains as strong as ever.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cult
Cite this Entry
“Cult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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