cult

[ kuhlt ]

/ kʌlt /

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.

Origin of cult

1610–20; < Latin cultus habitation, tilling, refinement, worship, equivalent to cul-, variant stem of colere to inhabit, till, worship + -tus suffix of v. action

OTHER WORDS FROM cult

cul·tic, cul·tu·al

[kuhl-choo-uh l] /ˈkʌl tʃu əl/, adjective cult·ish, adjective an·ti·cult, noun, adjective

Words nearby cult

culpability, culpable, culpable homicide, culpeper, culprit, cult, cult of personality, cultch, cultellus, cultic, cultigen

Example sentences from the Web for cult

In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.

How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze |Lizzie Crocker |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Malone first met Anderson by chance over a decade ago following the release of the cult hit Donnie Darko.

Jena Malone’s Long, Strange Trip From Homelessness to Hollywood Stardom |Marlow Stern |December 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle By Elton Felton There are lines around the block and long waiting lists.

Eight Must-read Stories About Nicaragua, School Shooters and the New Republic |The Daily Beast |December 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The cult of corporatism allows us to reimagine the corporation as our ultimate access point to the infinitude of possibility.

All Hail Shingy, AOL’s Goblin King |James Poulos |November 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The film was critically panned upon its release, but has since gained a cult following.

Charles Dance on Tywin Lannister’s S5 Return, A ‘Game of Thrones’ Movie,’ and Sexy Peter Dinklage |Marlow Stern |November 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
We have said that there is something eternal in religion: it is the cult and the faith.

The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life |Emile Durkheim
Imported into Greece, these notions and their cult had a twofold development.

Demonology and Devil-lore |Moncure Daniel Conway
The Cult of the Nation is the professionalism of the people.

Creative Unity |Rabindranath Tagore
Thus, ancestor cult also began with the cult of animals, not with that of human ancestors.

Elements of Folk Psychology |Wilhelm Wundt
In the Asiatic cult of the sexes there was no room for beauty, no time for selection.

The Evolution of Love |Emil Lucka

British Dictionary definitions for cult

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

Derived forms of cult

cultism, noun cultist, noun

Word Origin for cult

C17: from Latin cultus cultivation, refinement, from colere to till

Cultural definitions for cult

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 for cult

The term cult often suggests extreme beliefs and bizarre behavior.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

cult

noun

adjective

Origin of cult

OTHER WORDS FROM cult

Words nearby cult

Example sentences from the Web for cult

British Dictionary definitions for cult

noun

Derived forms of cult

Word Origin for cult

Cultural definitions for cult

notes for cult

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

cult

noun

adjective

Origin of cult

OTHER WORDS FROM cult

Words nearby cult

Words related to cult

Example sentences from the Web for cult

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for cult

noun

Derived forms of cult

Word Origin for cult

Cultural definitions for cult

notes for cult

British Dictionary definitions for cult