talisman

noun

tal·​is·​man ˈta-ləs-mən 

-ləz-

plural talismans

1

: an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune

2

: something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects

talismanic

ˌta-ləs-ˈma-nik 

-ləz-

adjective

talismanically

ˌta-ləs-ˈma-ni-k(ə-)lē 

-ləz-

adverb

Did you know?

Whether your personal lucky charm takes the form of a pink heart, yellow moon, orange star, green clover, or something else, the English language has got you covered, offering a bowlful of synonyms for magical objects. There’s mojo and amulet, periapt and phylactery, to name just a few. Talisman is another, and the mystery of its origins reflects the ubiquity of magical charms across cultures, languages, and time. The English language may have borrowed talisman from French, Spanish, or Italian; all three include similar-looking words that in turn come from the Arabic word for a charm, ṭilsam. Ṭilsam traces back to the ancient Greek verb telein, which means “to initiate into the mysteries [secret religious rites].”

Synonyms

• amulet

Examples of talisman in a Sentence

a pendant of white nephrite jade is often worn by Indians as a talisman to ward off heart disease

Recent Examples on the Web

Estevao is still rough around the edges and asking him to deputise for Palmer is a lot of pressure — but if the main thing Chelsea need in their talisman’s absence is confidence and unpredictability, the teenager tops the list. —Cerys Jones, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2025

That night on the red carpet, Bigelow pulled out the dinosaur and held it too, like a talisman. —Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025

Rooted in symbolism, her jewelry motifs serve as modern-day talismans celebrating luck, love and protection. —Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025

To explain these distortions, experts speculate that the figures served as fertility talismans—designed to maximize those parts of the body that evolution has encoded us to see as signs of optimal child-bearers. —Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French talisman or Spanish talismán or Italian talismano; all from Arabic ṭilsam, from Middle Greek telesma, from Greek, consecration, from telein to initiate into the mysteries, complete, from telos end — more at telos

First Known Use

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

talisman

noun

tal·​is·​man ˈtal-ə-smən 

-əz-mən

plural talismans

: a ring or stone carved with symbols and believed to have magical powers : charm