cargo cult

Etymology
From +. First used in print by N. M. Bird in a 1945 article.

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.

Translations

 * French:
 * Japanese: カーゴ・カルト
 * Portuguese: cargo cult, culto à carga, culto de carga, culto da carga

Noun

 * 1)  Melanesian religion based upon Western manufactured goods