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 cultish

I returned the sneakers to their boxes, slightly less perplexed by their cultish appeal.

Summer’s Ugliest Trend? Sneaker Wedges Should Be Banned! |Isabel Wilkinson |May 30, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Chatwin's books—he published a precious six in his brief career—no longer enjoy the cultish following that they once did.

The Enigmatic Nomad |Kirk Davis Swinehart |February 26, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
But if Bublé has an underground, cultish following that are his most hard-core, devoted fans, it's moms.

Bublé the Vampire Slayer |Nicole LaPorte |October 23, 2009 |DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for cultish (1 of 2)

cultish

culty (ˈkʌltɪ)

/ (ˈkʌltɪʃ) /

adjective

intended to appeal to a small group of fashionable people

Derived forms of cultish

cultishly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for cultish (2 of 2)

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 cultish

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 cultish

British Dictionary definitions for cultish (1 of 2)

culty (ˈkʌltɪ)

adjective

Derived forms of cultish

British Dictionary definitions for cultish (2 of 2)

noun

Derived forms of cult

Word Origin for cult

Cultural definitions for cultish

notes for cult

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

cult

noun

adjective

Origin of cult

OTHER WORDS FROM cult

Words nearby cult

Example sentences from the Web for cultish

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for cultish (1 of 2)

culty (ˈkʌltɪ)

adjective

Derived forms of cultish

British Dictionary definitions for cultish (2 of 2)

noun

Derived forms of cult

Word Origin for cult

Cultural definitions for cultish

notes for cult

British Dictionary definitions for cultish (1 of 2)