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cult
[ kuhlt ]
noun
- a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
- an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers:
the physical fitness cult.
- the object of such devotion.
- a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
- Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
- a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
- the members of such a religion or sect.
- any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
adjective
- of or relating to a cult.
- of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees:
a cult movie.
cult
/ kʌlt /
noun
- a specific system of religious worship, esp with reference to its rites and deity
- a sect devoted to such a system
- a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents
- sociol a group having an exclusive ideology and ritual practices centred on sacred symbols, esp one characterized by lack of organizational structure
- intense interest in and devotion to a person, idea, or activity
the cult of yoga
- the person, idea, etc, arousing such devotion
- something regarded as fashionable or significant by a particular group
- ( as modifier )
a cult show
- modifier of, relating to, or characteristic of a cult or cults
a cult figure
cult
- In anthropology , an organization for the conduct of ritual, magical, or other religious observances. Many so-called primitive tribes, for example, have ancestor cults, in which dead ancestors are considered divine and activities are organized to respect their memory and invoke their aid. A cult is also a religious group held together by a dominant, often charismatic individual, or by the worship of a divinity, an idol, or some other object. ( See animism (see also animism ), fetish , and totemism .)
Notes
Derived Forms
- ˈcultist, noun
- ˈcultism, noun
Other Words From
- cultic cul·tu·al [kuhl, -choo-, uh, l], adjective
- cultish adjective
- anti·cult noun adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of cult1
Word History and Origins
Origin of cult1
Example Sentences
In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.
Malone first met Anderson by chance over a decade ago following the release of the cult hit Donnie Darko.
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle By Elton Felton There are lines around the block and long waiting lists.
The cult of corporatism allows us to reimagine the corporation as our ultimate access point to the infinitude of possibility.
The film was critically panned upon its release, but has since gained a cult following.
In a series of lightning raids Port Adelaide police have arrested six teenagers who they claim are members of a sex cult.
Vice Squad detectives say the cult indulged in sex and drug parties.
They are children raised by a secret cult on my own world, trained into strange practices.
Surely the doctrines of Christianity would stand like a barricade against this monstrous cult.
Since the day when they had first received her, the Brodricks had established a regular cult of Jane Holland.
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