personality cult

noun

: a situation in which a public figure (such as a political leader) is deliberately presented to the people of a country as a great person who should be admired and loved

Examples of personality cult 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.
But the board ought to make sure its celebrity CEO is boosting the brand and the share price — not his personality cult. Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024 This has led to a personality cult of the individual creative genius who holds exclusive ownership to some magical artistic impulse. Charlie Engman, ARTnews.com, 20 Sep. 2024 One party has turned into a personality cult around a criminal candidate. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2024 Surviving multiple early attempts on their lives can boost a political leader’s personality cult and claims of invincibility. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, The Conversation, 25 July 2024 Nasser ordered one of the most extensive political crackdowns in Egypt’s history and nurtured a personality cult that would remain until his death 16 years later. Shadi Hamid, Washington Post, 16 July 2024 DeSantis’ selfishly tardy exit finally allows for the crucial one-on-one between Trump and Nikki Haley for the future and the soul of a once great party that risks becoming a personality cult for a dangerous man who has only contempt for democracy and American governmental and political traditions. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2024 Netanyahu’s Likud Party, which has dominated Israeli politics since 1977, turned into a personality cult around its leader. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 3 Jan. 2023 The narrative of India as the new economic miracle is foundational to both the personality cult of Modi and the legitimacy of his government at home and abroad. Debasish Roy Chowdhury, TIME, 24 Apr. 2024

Dictionary Entries Near personality cult

Cite this Entry

“Personality cult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personality%20cult. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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!