English Explanatory Dictionary

cargo cult

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of several religious movements among the people of Melanesia that anticipate the arrival of material cargo or cultural restoration, typically through the ritual imitation of the activities of colonial or technological cultures.
  2. Any of several philosophies, practices or pseudosciences that are not rooted in experiment, often characterized by an unreflected and ritualistic approach.

Word forms

cargo cult cargo cults

Etymology

From cargo (“Western material goods”) + cult. First used in print by N. M. Bird in an article in 1945.

Related words

technomagic

Derived words

cargo culting cargo cult science

Translations

Finnish: lastikultti Finnish: rahtikultti Finnish: cargo-kultti French: culte du cargo Japanese: カーゴ・カルト Portuguese: cargo cult Portuguese: culto à carga Portuguese: culto de carga Portuguese: culto da carga
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