cargo cult

Meaning

Noun

• Any of several unorthodox religious movements among the people of Melanesia based upon Western manufactured goods.
• Any of several philosophies, practices or pseudosciences that are not rooted in experiment, often characterized by an unreflected and ritualistic approach.

Origin

• First used in print by N. M. Bird in a 1945 article.{{cite-journal
• |lang=en
• |location=Sidney
• |publisher=Pacific Publications
• |journal=Pacific Island Monthly
• |oclc=1606263
• |volume=16
• |issue=4
• |page=69
• |pageurl=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-317552278/view?partId=nla.obj-317598908#page/n70/mode/1up
• |month=November
• |year=1945
• |author=Norris Mervyn Bird
• |title=Is there a danger of a post-war flare-up among New Guinea natives?