cult

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   The veneration, devotion, and religious rites given to a deity (especially in a…

   The veneration, devotion, and religious rites given to a deity (especially in a historical polytheistic context), or (in a Christian context) to a saint; a subset of worship.

   • imperial cult
   • the cult of Mary
   • "When frying sausages," remarked Cripps, who seemed to regard that occupation as a cult, "it is advisable to perforate the outer skin with a fork."
2. 2

   A group of people having an obsession with or intense admiration for a particular…

   A group of people having an obsession with or intense admiration for a particular activity, idea, person or thing.

   • the heavy metal cult
   • the cult of basketball
   • the guitarist's cult of loyal fans
3. 3

   A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of…

   A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader.

   • Two former cult members explain the difficulties they had extricating themselves from it.
   • Werner Erhard's highly successful est cult is partly derived from Scientology. Erhard had some experience with Scientology in 1969. Then he worked for a while in Mind Dynamics, itself an offshoot of Jose Silva's Mind Control.
4. ›+ 3 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Of or relating to a cult.

   2. 5

      Enjoyed by a small, loyal group.

      • a cult horror movie
      • Monte Hellman, whose terse action films, epitomized by the 1971 road movie “Two-Lane Blacktop,” made him a cult hero of the American independent film movement, died on Tuesday in Palm Desert, Calif.
   3. 6

      Alternative form of kvlt.

The neighborhood

• neighbornew religious movement
• neighborsect