totem

noun to·tem \ ˈtō-təm \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of totem

1 a : an object (such as an animal or plant) serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry; also : a usually carved or painted representation of such an object

b : a family or clan identified by a common totemic object

2 : one that serves as an emblem or revered symbol

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Examples of totem in a Sentence

Private jets are a totem of success among extremely wealthy people.
the bald eagle, that universally recognized totem of our country

Recent Examples of totem from the Web

The lobby is filled with totems and artwork as well as a colorful mural that rings the walls and depicts Hawaii’s history.

— arthur levine, USA TODAY, "Disney's Aulani resort: A Hawaiian vacation, with characters," 8 Apr. 2018
Social media has created a thousand points of autonomy, and the old totems are no longer necessary or welcome.

— richard lischer, Washington Post, "What Martin Luther King Jr. would think of Black Lives Matter today," 4 Apr. 2018
Indeed, nearly every frame of Spielberg's film, which opened Thursday, is densely packed with nostalgia-triggering totems from films, TV shows, games and toys, mainly from the 1980s, but also from earlier and later eras.

— josh rottenberg, latimes.com, "How the team behind 'Ready Player One' wrangled a bonanza of pop culture references into a single film," 1 Apr. 2018
Spielberg, of course, is one of the authors of many of the nostalgic totems that appear in Ready Player One, but his choice to create a film about nostalgia only pays off slightly here.

— josh spiegel, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ready Player One' Forgot to Create Something New," 31 Mar. 2018
The goods & materials: Abstract pieces, ranging from wall art, sculpture and totems.

— linda jerkins, ajc, "Southern Made: 3 artists at 3-day craft show," 7 Mar. 2018
There were handwritten notes from friends and strange tirades from far away, strings of beads, and bizarre totems of mysterious significance.

— nestor ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "Parkland tries to build unity after tragedy," 31 Mar. 2018
A bird vertebrae necklace was one of her signatures — a totem of life and death, Cohen said.

— martina schimitschek, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Joyce Cutler-Shaw — pioneering San Diego artist and humanitarian — dies at 85," 29 Mar. 2018
Peter travels the resort looking for those magical plot totems who will deliver the key piece of advice to help him get over the mean girl and become self-actualized.

— tom philip, GQ, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," 11 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'totem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

totem Has Roots in an Algonquian Language

Totem comes to us from Ojibwa, an Algonquian language spoken by an American Indian people from the regions around Lake Superior. The most basic form of the word in Ojibwa is believed to be "ote," but 18th-century English speakers encountered it as "ototeman" ("his totem"), which became our word totem. In its most specific sense, "totem" refers to to an emblematic depiction of something (such as an animal, plant, or supernatural being) gives a family or tribe its name and that often serves as a reminder of its ancestry. The term is also used broadly for any thing or person having particular emblematic or symbolic importance. The related adjective "totemic" describes something that serves as a totem, that depicts totems ("totemic basketry," for example), or that has the nature of a totem.

Origin and Etymology of totem

Ojibwa oto·te·man his totem

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1776

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

totem Synonyms

Synonyms

emblem, ensign, hallmark, logo, symbol, trademark;

Related Words

attribute, icon (also ikon), pictograph;

logogram, logograph;

badge, coat of arms, cognizance, crest, insignia, monogram;

colophon, stamp, token;

Other Heraldry Terms

blazon, cachet, couchant, dormant, escutcheon, potent, standard

TOTEM Defined for English Language Learners

totem

noun

Definition of totem for English Language Learners

: something (such as an animal or plant) that is the symbol for a family, tribe, etc., especially among Native Americans
: a usually carved or painted figure that represents such a symbol
: a person or thing that represents an idea