a system of religious beliefs and ritual, or its the body of adherents of one
the cult of the Virgin Mary
a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious, or its the body of adherents of one
A cult is a religion with no political power — Tom Wolfe
(often before a noun) great devotion among a group to a particular person, idea, or thing
a cult figure
In popular culture, a ‘cult classic’ is a film, television or radio series, book, game or album which is the object of special devotion among a small group of intensely loyal aficionados but has not, at least initially, reached the mainstream. Such cult followings more commonly occur in particular genres, including fantasy, sci-fi and horror. Cult films and television series have become increasingly influential in popular culture in recent years. Whereas once they would have been deemed a ‘flop’, DVD technology now means that they need not enjoy first-run success to be widely seen and become profitable – Naomi Alderman
cultic adj
cultish adj
cultism noun
cultist noun
[French culte from Latin cultus care, adoration, past part. of colere to cultivate]