cult
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.
of or relating to a cult.
of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.
Origin of cult
1Other words from cult
- cultic, cul·tu·al [kuhl-choo-uhl], /ˈkʌl tʃu əl/, adjective
- cultish, adjective
- an·ti·cult, noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for cult
/ (kʌlt) /
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
Origin of cult
1Derived forms of cult
- cultism, noun
- cultist, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for 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 New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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