cult

noun, often attributive \ ˈkəlt \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of cult

1 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious (see spurious 2); also : its body of adherents

the voodoo cult

a satanic cult

2 a : 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 fad

b : the object of such devotion

c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

the singer's cult of fans

The film has a cult following.

3 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents

the cult of Apollo

4 : formal religious veneration : worship

5 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator

health cults

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cultic

play \ˈkəl-tik\ adjective

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cultish

play \ˈkəl-tish\ adjective

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cultishly

play \ˈkəl-tish-lē\ adverb

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cultishness

play \ˈkəl-tish-nəs\ noun

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cultism

play \ˈkəl-ˌti-zəm\ noun

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cultist

play \ˈkəl-tist\ noun

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cultlike

play \ˈkəlt-ˌlīk\ adjective

See cult defined for English-language learners

See cult defined for kids

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

As with any cult favorite worth its salt, fandom is spread by word of mouth (Schmidt’s internet presence is minimal at best), and many patrons think of the place as their secret (someone will likely be displeased with this story).

— emma silvers, San Francisco Chronicle, "The story of the Albany pub where time stands still," 16 May 2018
The brand is a cult favorite on skin-care internet, and is known for its varieties of high-powered exfoliants, retinols, and antioxidants, which are offered at palatably low price points.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Skin Care’s Most Outspoken Founder on Why Sheet Masks Are a Lie," 11 May 2018
Ghost Creepy costumes, carefully constructed mythology and lots of faux-pretentious metal bombast from the Swedish cult favorites, hitting Detroit as part of their Rats!

— brian mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Upcoming Detroit concerts: Sevendust, Spinners, LeAnn Rimes, Tom Jones, more," 10 May 2018
This cult-favorite charcoal teeth whitener is 20% off With nearly 18,000 reviews on Amazon and 4.4 out of 5 stars, there's no doubt this charcoal powder is a hit.

— samantha gordon, USA TODAY, "Here are the 5 best Amazon deals right now," 10 May 2018
On the Northern edge of Columbus Park, in a space previously occupied by cult-favorite karaoke bar Winnie’s, is Lalito, Gerardo Gonzalez’s casual, vibrant ode to his Mexican and San Diegan roots.

— leah bhabha, Vogue, "Where Little Italy Meets Chinatown, Eclectic Restaurants Attract New Crowds," 6 May 2018
On Wednesday, Benefit Cosmetics announced the relaunch of its cult-favorite Gimme Brow product, which will be available for purchase March 13.

— lauren adhav, Cosmopolitan, "Here's What's Different About Benefit's New Version of Its Cult-Favorite Gimme Brow," 7 Mar. 2018
Earlier this month, cult-favorite London skate brand Palace released its spring lookbook.

— samuel hine, GQ, "How Salomon Stumbled Into the Ultimate Fashion Sneaker," 14 Feb. 2018
The easy-to-apply, budge-proof gel formula is a cult favorite among makeup artists.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Jennifer Lopez Knows How to Make a Great Mascara," 26 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1613

in the meaning defined at sense 4

See Words from the same year

cult Synonyms

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra

CULT Defined for English Language Learners

cult

noun

Definition of cult for English Language Learners

: 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
: a situation in which people admire and care about something or someone very much or too much
: a small group of very devoted supporters or fans