Buster's CULT

Overview
Usage examples
Similar and opposite words
Pronunciation
Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
cult
/k?lt/
noun
noun: cult; plural noun: cults
1.
a relatively small group of people having beliefs or practices, especially relating to religion, that are regarded by others as strange or sinister or as imposing excessive control over members.
"a network of Satan-worshipping cults"
a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular thing.
"the cult of the pursuit of money as an end in itself"
2.
a person or thing that is popular or fashionable among a particular group or section of society.
"the series has become a bit of a cult in the UK"
3.
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object.
"the cult of St. Olaf"
Origin

early 17th century (originally denoting homage paid to a divinity): from French culte or Latin cultus ‘worship’, from cult- ‘inhabited, cultivated, worshipped’, from the verb colere .
Translate cult to
Choose language
Use over time for: cult

Feedback
People also ask
What is a simple definition of a cult?
AI Overview



+9
A cult is a group with socially deviant or novel beliefs, often led by a charismatic figure who uses llmanipulative, high-pressure techniques to control members' thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. They typically demand absolute devotion and often isolate members from outside society.
Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster
+4
Common Characteristics of a Cult:
Study.com
Study.com
+2
Charismatic Leader: A central, unquestioned leader who dictates all rules.
Isolation: Members are encouraged to cut ties with family, friends, and mainstream society.
Manipulation & Control: Use of indoctrination techniques, love-bombing (initial intense affection), and behavior modification.
Charismatic Authority: The leader is seen as the sole source of truth.
Exploitation: Members are often exploited financially, emotionally, or physically.
No Exit: Leaving is made difficult, dangerous, or causes severe punishment.
Types of Cults:
MasterClass
MasterClass
Religious: Based on radical or "new" theology often splitting from established faiths.
Political: Focused on extreme political ideology.
Doomsday: Preparing for an imminent apocalypse.
Commercial/Self-Help: Promoting unethical, high-pressure business or self-help training.
Note: The term "cult" is frequently used subjectively to express disdain for a group's beliefs or practices.
People Leave Cults
People Leave Cults
Cult | Definition, Characteristics & Behavior - Lesson - Study.com
Isolation and love-bombing: It is common for people in cults to be encouraged to cut contact with outsiders, including close family members. Within the cult, ne...

Study.com

What Is a Cult? 10 Warning Signs - Verywell Mind
Most people can agree that cults have a leader. And the leader (or group of people who serve as leaders) is responsible for the rules that guide the members.

Verywell Mind

Cult-Related Activity - Bethune-Cookman University
The term “cult” is traditionally used to reference social groups defined by their extreme religious, philosophical or spiritual beliefs focused on a particular ...

Bethune-Cookman
CULT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
noun * … cults use indoctrination methods that "program" beliefs through hypnosis, repetition, and behavior modification techniques … Steven A. Hassan. * People...

Merriam-Webster
What is a Cult? | People Leave Cults
Political movements are called cults. ? Celebrity fan bases are called cults. ? Popular media are said to have a "cult following." ? Etcetera, etcetera. ? In a ...

People Leave Cults

What Is a Cult? 4 Types of Cults and Common Characteristics - 2026
There are many different types of cults focusing on different end goals or beliefs. Here are just a few general groupings: 1. Doomsday cults: Certain cults come...

MasterClass

Cults, Brainwashing, and Influence: What Science Says vs. What We Assume
A cult is a social group identified by unquestioning devotion, manipulative influence, and isolation from outside perspectives. Cults often demand absolute loya...

drstankovich.com

Project MUSE - A Cult by Any Other Name: Is "High Demand Group" a Useful Category? (Perspectives Essay)
2. This article refers to "high-control groups and cults." It defines "cults" as "groups that are centered on an ideology, led by a charismatic leader who domin...

Project MUSE
What Makes a Cult Leader?
1. A charismatic leader who becomes an object of worship beyond any meaningful accountability and becomes the single most defining element of the group and its ...

Psychology Today

How do cults work : r/worldbuilding
Cults usually worship a living person whom they believe is divine and gives them very radical practices like approving of violence or flat-out hatred or isolati...

Reddit

Cult - Wikipedia
American sociologist Howard P. Becker further bisected Troeltsch's first two categories, splitting church into ecclesia and denomination; and sect into sect and...

Wikipedia

Cult | Meaning, Definition, Religion, & Psychology | Britannica
Show more. new religious movement (NRM), the generally accepted term for what is sometimes called, often with pejorative connotations, a “cult.” The term new re...

Britannica

AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses
0