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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
Marisol Mosquera, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Timed to the 50th anniversary of the cult film, the doc’s release also marks the kickoff of an even larger national tour of the film, with close to 100 more engagements set to open throughout the month of October as the anniversary celebrations continue.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Cube The cult hit Cube follows a group of strangers who wake up in a giant cube that’s connected to other cubes, all forming one massive cube.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
The two seemingly dressed as their characters from the 2006 cult classic while sitting front row at the Dolce & Gabbana spring/summer 2026 collection show.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 27 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2025.
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