cult of personality

American  

noun

1. a cult promoting adulation of a living national leader or public figure, as one encouraged by Stalin to extend his power.

---

Etymology

Origin of cult of personality

Probably earlier than 1965–70; translation of Russian kulʾt líchnosti

Example Sentences

The two-week absence is unusual given Rakhmon has built a cult of personality and his movements are meticulously reported by the government-controlled press.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

That day in Adamsville, it became clear how once a cult of personality is established in America, it can be near impossible to puncture.

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025

In the court of pop culture influence, Barrett isn’t close to matching the cult of personality surrounding her predecessor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2025

There’s something to be said for a cult of personality.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2025

She also said he had an advantage over other North Koreans: he had not been contaminated by propaganda or the cult of personality that surrounds the Kim dynasty.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden