cargo cult

noun

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.

“cargo cult science”

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Meanings

nouncargo cult (plural cargo cults)

plural cargo cults

  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. alsoattributivefigurativelyAny of several philosophies, practices or pseudosciences that are not rooted in experiment, often characterized by an unreflected and ritualistic approach.

    cargo cult science

    2 more examples

    cargo cult software engineering

    “People should slow down and understand what they’re trying to optimize for before just following Jack,” Mr. Woo said. “You don’t want to be in a cargo cult type thing.”

    2019 May 2, Nellie Bowles, “Jack Dorsey Is Gwyneth Paltrow for Silicon Valley”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Nov 2020

Origin

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

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish lastikultti, rahtikultti
  • lastikulttiMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
  • rahtikulttiMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
  • cargo-kulttiMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
French culte du cargo
  • culte du cargoMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
Japanese カーゴ・カルト
  • カーゴ・カルト (kāgo karuto)Melanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
Portuguese cargo cult, culto à carga
  • cargo cultMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
  • culto à cargaMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
  • culto de cargaMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
  • culto da cargaMelanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods
Cite this entry
APA

cargo cult. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cargo%20cult

MLA

“cargo cult.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cargo%20cult. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cargo cult,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cargo%20cult.

Source: cargo cult on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.