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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
Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Hocus Pocus was considered a flop for Disney until annual rewatches around this time of year helped turn it into a cult classic.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
The film flopped theatrically when it was released in 1993, but became a cult classic and staple during the Halloween season and at drag shows.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2025
The nationally recognized Johnny Doughnuts shop, a cult favorite from Marin County, will be expanding to San Jose — and baking delights like the Maple Bacon Glazed, the Chocolate Salted Caramel Old-Fashioned and the Lime Mascarpone Bismarck.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 2025.
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