plural cultists
: a member of a cult: such as
a
: a devotee or member of a religious cult
In 1826 … Shakers were persecuted as cultists distinguished by their use of dance in worship … and their belief in their founder, Mother Ann, as equal to Jesus.—Robert Minkoff
b
: one who exhibits great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, etc.
… at a time when the Kinks don't even have an American record deal, it's heartening for aging Kinks cultists that Ray Davies has found a domestic publisher for X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography, a book that was published in England last year.—David Wild
Although Pierce has seen reruns of the actress's films, he insists he is not a [Marilyn] Monroe cultist.—David Wallace
If the paranoid cultists and survivalists are right, and the apocalypse is right around the corner, who do we want leading the nation through the pestilence, famine and plagues of locusts?—Sparkle Hayter
Cite this Entry
“Cultist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cultist. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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