Tribe vs. Cult — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 6, 2024
Tribe is a traditional social group sharing a common ancestry, culture, language, occupying a specific geographic region, while cult is a smaller, secretive group characterized by unorthodox beliefs and devotion to a particular leader, idea, or object.
Difference Between Tribe and Cult
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A tribe is an indigenous community that shares a common lineage, culture, language, and history, whereas a cult is a group known for its intense devotion to an ideology, leader, or object.
Tribes are typically recognized as traditional societies rooted in ancestral lands and practices, while cults are often more recent formations that exist outside mainstream society.
A tribe maintains cultural identity through shared customs and social structures, whereas a cult often forms around a charismatic leader and unorthodox beliefs, which may diverge sharply from societal norms.
Tribes have longstanding and often legally recognized connections to their lands or regions, while cults frequently operate in isolation or secrecy to avoid external scrutiny.
Tribal membership is typically hereditary or cultural, passed down through generations, while cult membership is usually voluntary, often involving indoctrination.
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Comparison Chart
Origin
Traditional society, ancestral lineage
Recently formed group around specific beliefs
Membership
Hereditary or cultural
Voluntary, often through indoctrination
Belief System
Rooted in ancestral traditions
Unconventional, centered on leader or idea
Recognition
Often legally recognized and historically defined
Largely unrecognized, often secretive
Social Structure
Hierarchical or communal
Hierarchical, leader-centered
Compare with Definitions
Tribe
Social group with shared customs and ancestry.
The Cherokee tribe has maintained many of its ancestral traditions.
Cult
Small, secretive group with unorthodox beliefs.
The cult kept its meetings private and members sworn to secrecy.
Tribe
Indigenous community sharing common culture and lineage.
The Maasai tribe inhabits regions of Kenya and Tanzania.
Cult
Intense devotion to a leader or ideology.
The cult members followed the leader's every word without question.
Tribe
Recognized political or social entity.
Many Native American tribes are legally recognized by the government.
Cult
Recruits members through indoctrination and coercion.
The cult leaders targeted vulnerable individuals to join their ranks.
Tribe
Group bound by shared language and geographical region.
The Inuit tribe shares a distinct language and resides in Arctic regions.
Cult
Social group often marked by unconventional or extreme practices.
The cult had bizarre rituals that made outsiders uneasy.
Tribe
Hierarchical society with distinct roles and relationships.
The tribe was organized with elders serving as council leaders.
Cult
Formed around a charismatic figure or singular idea.
The cult worshipped a self-proclaimed prophet and adhered to strict rules.
Tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant usage of the term is in the discipline of anthropology.
Cult
In modern English, a cult is a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or by its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This sense of the term is controversial, having divergent definitions both in popular culture and academia, and has also been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study.
Tribe
A unit of sociopolitical organization consisting of a number of families, clans, or other groups who share a common ancestry and culture and among whom leadership is typically neither formalized nor permanent.
Cult
A system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object
The cult of St Olaf
Tribe
Any of the three divisions of the ancient Romans, namely, the Latin, Sabine, and Etruscan.
Cult
A person or thing that is popular or fashionable among a particular group or section of society
A cult film
The series has become a bit of a cult in the UK
Tribe
Any of the 12 divisions of ancient Israel.
Cult
A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
Tribe
A phyle of ancient Greece.
Cult
The followers of such a religion or sect.
Tribe
A group of people sharing an occupation, interest, or habit
A tribe of graduate students.
Cult
A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
Tribe
(Informal) A large family.
Cult
The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
Tribe
(Biology) A taxonomic category ranking below a family or subfamily and above a genus and usually containing several genera.
Cult
A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
Tribe
An ethnic group larger than a band or clan (and which may contain clans) but smaller than a nation (and which in turn may be contained within a nation). The tribe is often the basis of ethnic identity.
Cult
Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
Tribe
(synecdoche) A tribal nation or people.
Cult
The object of such devotion.
Tribe
(pejorative) A nation or people in an area considered culturally primitive, such as Africa, Australia or Native America.
Cult
An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.
Tribe
A socially cohesive group of people within a society
Cult
A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader.
Two former cult members explain the difficulties they had extricating themselves from it.
Tribe
(zoology) A group of apes who live and work together.
Cult
The veneration, devotion, and religious rites given to a deity (especially in a historical polytheistic context), or (in a Christian context) to a saint.
The cult of Apollo
The cult of Mary
Tribe
(taxonomy) A hierarchal rank between family and genus.
Cult
(informal) A group of people having an obsession with or intense admiration for a particular activity, idea, person or thing.
The heavy metal cult; the cult of basketball; the guitarist's cult of loyal fans; the cult of celebrity
Tribe
The collective noun for various animals.
Cult
Of or relating to a cult.
Tribe
(stock breeding) A family of animals descended from some particular female progenitor, through the female line.
The Duchess tribe of shorthorns
Cult
Enjoyed by a small, loyal group.
A cult horror movie
Tribe
(transitive) To distribute into tribes or classes; to categorize.
Cult
Alternative form of kvlt.
Tribe
A family, race, or series of generations, descending from the same progenitor, and kept distinct, as in the case of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve sons of Jacob.
A wealthy Hebrew of my tribe.
Cult
Attentive care; homage; worship.
Every one is convinced of the reality of a better self, and of the cult or homage which is due to it.
Tribe
A number of species or genera having certain structural characteristics in common; as, a tribe of plants; a tribe of animals.
Cult
A system of religious belief and worship.
That which was the religion of Moses is the ceremonial or cult of the religion of Christ.
Tribe
A nation of savages or uncivilized people; a body of rude people united under one leader or government; as, the tribes of the Six Nations; the Seneca tribe.
Cult
A system of intense religious veneration of a particular person, idea, or object, especially one considered spurious or irrational by traditional religious bodies; as, the Moonie cult.
Tribe
A division, class, or distinct portion of a people, from whatever cause that distinction may have originated; as, the city of Athens was divided into ten tribes.
Cult
The group of individuals who adhere to a cult (senses 2 or 3).
Tribe
A family of animals descended from some particular female progenitor, through the female line; as, the Duchess tribe of shorthorns.
Cult
A strong devotion or interest in a particular person, idea or thing without religious associations, or the people holding such an interest; as, the cult of James Dean; the cult of personality in totalitarian societies.
Tribe
To distribute into tribes or classes.
Our fowl, fish, and quadruped are well tribed.
Cult
Adherents of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices
Tribe
A social division of (usually preliterate) people
Cult
An interest followed with exaggerated zeal;
He always follows the latest fads
It was all the rage that season
Tribe
A federation (as of American Indians)
Cult
A system of religious beliefs and rituals;
Devoted to the cultus of the Blessed Virgin
Tribe
(biology) a taxonomic category between a genus and a subfamily
Tribe
Group of people related by blood or marriage
Common Curiosities
Is a cult a type of tribe?
No, tribes are traditional societies, while cults are usually small, recent, and focused on specific beliefs.
Are tribes always indigenous?
Generally, tribes are associated with indigenous or ancient cultures.
Can tribes be secretive like cults?
Not usually; tribes are generally more open but maintain cultural privacy.
Are all cults dangerous?
Not necessarily, but some exhibit harmful behavior or coercion.
Is it difficult to leave a cult?
Often, as members may face psychological or physical barriers to exit.
Do all cults follow a leader?
Most cults are centered around a charismatic leader or a singular ideology.
Do cults often exploit their members?
Some cults are known for manipulation and exploitation.
Can tribes form new religious practices?
Yes, some tribes have unique spiritual beliefs rooted in their culture.
Do cults use fear tactics to control members?
In some cases, fear is used to maintain loyalty and discourage dissent.
Is tribal membership exclusive?
Yes, membership is usually hereditary or deeply rooted in cultural identity.
Do cults offer benefits to their members?
Some offer community or purpose but often require intense loyalty.
Can tribes adapt to modern life?
Many tribes blend traditional practices with modern lifestyles.
Can a tribe's leader wield as much power as a cult leader?
Tribal leadership typically has checks and balances, unlike many cults.
Are cults and religions the same?
No, mainstream religions generally have broader acceptance and longer histories.
Can tribes be legally protected?
Yes, many tribes have recognized rights and protections.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
