The term 邪教 is a compound word formed by combining the character 邪 (xié), meaning "evil," "heretical," or "deviant," with the character 教 (jiào), meaning "religion" or "teaching." Literally, it translates to "evil teaching" or "deviant religion." It functions as a modern Chinese lexical unit that specifically denotes what is commonly referred to in English as a "cult" or "heretical sect," carrying a strong pejorative connotation to describe groups perceived as manipulating followers with harmful, unorthodox, or superstitious beliefs outside mainstream religious or social norms.