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."
She has developed a cult following.
long after it had gone off the air, the TV series continued to have a huge cult
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Some shouted out cult classics like Possession (1981), in which Neill provided the ballast that allowed his co-star Isabelle Adjani the chance to dive headfirst into the deep end, or the Hitchcock thriller on a boat Dead Calm (1989).—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 July 2026 The baroque pearl necklace has become something of a cult accessory, beloved by those who want to express their individuality.—
Selene Oliva,
Glamour,
13 July 2026 In the Mouth of Madness (1994) Neill also worked with the legendary John Carpenter on the supernatural horror film In the Mouth of Madness, another film that has achieved cult favorite status.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
13 July 2026 Then, there are other models, such as the Air Jordan 16, which have a devoted cult following, but are rarely seen in Retro form.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cult
Word History
Etymology
French & Latin; French culte, from Latin cultus care, adoration, from colere to cultivate — more at wheel
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