cult vs religious cult

cult and religious cult both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cult	Yes	No	No	No
religious cult	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, cult and religious cult are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of cult include cultus.

cult (noun)	religious cult (noun)
a system of religious beliefs and rituals	a system of religious beliefs and rituals
an interest followed with exaggerated zeal
a religion or sect that is generally considered to be unorthodox, extremist, or false
followers of an exclusive system of beliefs and practices
followers of an unorthodox, extremist, or false religion or sect who often live outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader