cult
[noun]
Synonyms:
- sect, clique, faction, religion, school
- devotion, idolization, worship

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English Thesaurus: church, denomination, sect, cult, religion, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. cult¹ /kʌlt/ noun
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: culte, from Latin cultus 'care, worship', from colere; ⇒ cultivate]

1. [countable] an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion

2. [countable] a fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives
cult of
Diet, exercise ... It’s all part of this cult of self-improvement.

3. [singular] a group of people who are very interested in a particular thing:
O'Brien has a cult of devoted readers.

4. [uncountable and countable] formal a system of religious beliefs and practices
⇒ personality cult

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. cult² adjective [only before noun]
cult film/band/figure etc a film, music group etc that has become very popular but only among a particular group of people:
the 1980s cult movie ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’
The actor James Dean acquired the status of a cult hero.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

cult
noun
I. worship of a person/thing
ADJ. personality the personality cult of the president
CULT + NOUN figure, hero He became a cult figure during the 1960s.
status The book achieved cult status as soon as it was published.
following The show has built up a cult following.
band, book, film
PREP. ~ of the cult of youth

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cult
II. religious group
ADJ. religious the members of a religious cult
CULT + NOUN leader, member | image, object, statue | practice

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

church one of the different groups within the Christian religion – used especially in names:
The Roman Catholic church is expanding.
members of the Church of England
denomination a religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups who belong to the same religion:
Our staff come from churches of all denominations.
Several denominations have developed among Jews.
sect a religious group that has separated from a larger group:
He is a leader in the powerful Ansar Sunni Muslim sect.
cult an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion:
Members of the cult all committed suicide on the same day.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

religion [uncountable and countable] a set of beliefs about a god, and the ceremonies and customs that go with these beliefs. Also used when talking about all religions in general:
Judaism is one of the great religions of the world.
African tribal religions
a lecture on the role of religion in society
faith [uncountable and countable] a religion, especially one of the large important world religions. Also used when talking about religious belief in general:
The school welcomes children of all faiths.
His religious faith was always deeply important to him.
belief [uncountable and countable] the act of believing in a god or gods, or the ideas that someone believes because of their religion:
We all have the right to freedom of belief.
They were persecuted because of their religious beliefs.
denomination [countable] a religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups who belong to the same religion:
The church is the largest Christian denomination in the United States.
sect [countable] a group of people who have their own set of religious beliefs and customs, especially a group that has separated from a larger group:
He became a member of a Buddhist sect.
There are two sects in Islam - the Sunni and the Shi'a.
an obscure religious sect
the church [singular, uncountable] the Christian religion in general:
How great is the influence of the church in present-day society?
The church has a lot to say about this.
the Catholic/Protestant etc church (also Church) [countable] one of the separate groups within the Christian religion:
the Methodist Church
cult [countable] an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion – often used to show disapproval:
The suicides have been linked to a strange religious cult.
the traditional pagan cults of Ancient Rome
creed [uncountable and countable] formal the religion that you belong to, and the set of beliefs that you accept in order to belong to it – often used in phrases when saying that your religion should not affect how you are treated:
There must be no discrimination because of race, colour, or creed.
You will be rewarded whatever your race or creed.
faith community [countable] formal a group of people who share the same religious beliefs – used especially in official contexts:
the benefits of living within a supportive faith community

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲