Link Centre Dictionary

cult

UK/kʌlt/ US/kʰʌlt/ fairly common informal

noun

1.

adherents of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices

2.

an interest followed with exaggerated zeal

  • “he always follows the latest fads”
  • “it was all the rage that season”
Synonyms
3.

a system of religious beliefs and rituals

  • “devoted to the cultus of the Blessed Virgin”
Synonyms

Origin

Derived from French culte, from Latin cultus (“care, adoration; cult”), from colō (“cultivate; protect”).

Phrases

  • cargo cult
  • cargo cult science
  • cult archaeology
  • cult film
  • cult follower
  • cult following
  • cult hero
  • cult hit
  • new religious movement

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.