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DictionarycultDevoted group
noun / adjective

cult

KUHLT/kʌlt/

An organized system of intense devotion to a figure or belief.

Two cult members kneel in reverence before their seated leader.

Two members of a fictional modern social group kneel in exaggerated reverence before their seated leader, illustrating extreme devotion to a person rather than identifying any real religion or community.
Etymology
cultLatincare; cultivation; worship

Latin cultus joined the ideas of tending and reverence. English used cult for worship or a system of worship; the focus on devotion connects those meanings to the modern sense of a devoted group.

In context

Cultimatum47:26
you are in a cult or a very high control group.
Joel Crosby -Potter's House

More examples

  • The cult requires members to obey its leader without question.
  • The ancient cult honors its deity through seasonal rituals.
  • The film remains a cult favorite decades after its release.

Forms

cult · cults

cultist noun — A person who belongs to a cult.

Similar words

sect
Usually a religious subgroup, not necessarily intensely devoted or controlling.
following
Emphasizes supporters collectively, without implying strict control or ritual.