Still, confusing as this panoply of "cult" definitions might be, everyday speakers seem to be navigating it okay. Sociolinguists have found that overall, listeners are quite savvy at making contextual inferences about the meaning and stakes implied whenever a familiar word is used in conversation. Generally, we're able to infer that when we talk about the cult of Jonestown, we mean something different from the "cult" of CBD skincare or Taylor Swift fans.

— Cultish by Amanda Montell (5%)