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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 (meaning "his totem"), which became our word totem. In its most specific sense, totem refers to an emblematic depiction of an animal or plant that gives a family or clan its name and that often serves as a reminder of its ancestry. The term is also used broadly for any person or thing 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.
Examples of totem in a Sentence
Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2025
But for a city break with all the totems of winter, Boston more than delivers.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
The dress fetched more than $125,000 at auction, cementing its status as a totem of the couple’s early years.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
The Chinese take-out eatery included a dining area themed to look like a Tiki lounge with bamboo, oars, totems and puffer fish lamps.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totem
Cite this Entry
“Totem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totem. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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totem
noun
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