cult of personality
noun phrase
: a situation in which a public figure (such as a political leader) is deliberately presented to the people of a country as a great person who should be admired and loved
Examples of cult of personality in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Now, André’s flirtations with jazz music are taking myself and others beyond his cult of personality and into a deeper appreciation for instrumentation.
—
Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2024
The tally, virtually unimaginable in any democratic nation, suggests that the Kremlin is now less focused on manufacturing a veneer of electoral legitimacy and more on creating a cult of personality around Putin as Russia’s undisputed national patriarch and leader for life.
—Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
At its core, the story of Vice is one of money, greed and the cult of personality.
—Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024
In keeping with this gargantuan cult of personality, Modi has attempted, largely successfully, to make governance and administration an instrument of his personal will rather than a collaborative effort in which many institutions and individuals work together.
—Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Mao also expanded the militia system to suppress and intimidate people who opposed his radical policies, while developing a cult of personality within and outside the party.
—Laura He, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024
Modi, on the other hand, has centralized power in his office to an astonishing degree, undermined the independence of public institutions such as the judiciary and the media, built a cult of personality around himself, and pursued his party’s ideological goals with ruthless efficiency.
—Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
They are united not by ideology so much as by a refusal to go along with the cult of personality that has overtaken the rest of their colleagues.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024
The Kremlin is carrying out public events featuring the Russian leader that seem designed to build a cult of personality around him.
—Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2023
Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2024
The tally, virtually unimaginable in any democratic nation, suggests that the Kremlin is now less focused on manufacturing a veneer of electoral legitimacy and more on creating a cult of personality around Putin as Russia’s undisputed national patriarch and leader for life.
—Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
At its core, the story of Vice is one of money, greed and the cult of personality.
—Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024
In keeping with this gargantuan cult of personality, Modi has attempted, largely successfully, to make governance and administration an instrument of his personal will rather than a collaborative effort in which many institutions and individuals work together.
—Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Mao also expanded the militia system to suppress and intimidate people who opposed his radical policies, while developing a cult of personality within and outside the party.
—Laura He, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024
Modi, on the other hand, has centralized power in his office to an astonishing degree, undermined the independence of public institutions such as the judiciary and the media, built a cult of personality around himself, and pursued his party’s ideological goals with ruthless efficiency.
—Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
They are united not by ideology so much as by a refusal to go along with the cult of personality that has overtaken the rest of their colleagues.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024
The Kremlin is carrying out public events featuring the Russian leader that seem designed to build a cult of personality around him.
—Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cult of personality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cult of personality
Cite this Entry
“Cult of personality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult%20of%20personality. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share