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, their celibacy 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

Examples of cultist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dragon types, for example, get individual entries but all cultists are filed in the same entry. Rob Wieland, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025 The ongoing Escape From Tarkov event is moving at a rapid pace after launching a few days ago, with cultists invading all maps with some serious loot in their pockets. Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cultist was in 1898

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cultist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cultist. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on cultist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!