totemic

adjective

to·tem·ic tō-ˈte-mik

: of, relating to, suggestive of, or characteristic of a totem or totemism

a totemic animal

: based on or practicing totemism

totemic clan structure

Examples of totemic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, a totemic work in health care research, found that low-income adults who received Medicaid saw a 9 percent reduction in depression. —

Dylan Scott, Vox, 2 May 2024 His crowning achievement was convincing a skeptical Truman administration to commit to a NATO alliance that explicitly declared that an attack on any member was an attack on all members—the treaty’s totemic Article 5. —

David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024 For all its totemic importance, Brexit has scarcely figured as an issue in 2024. —

Mark Landler, New York Times, 25 May 2024 Stronger-than-expected British inflation prompted traders to sharply pare back bets on interest rate cuts and denied Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a totemic economic victory. —

Tom Rees, Fortune Europe, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for totemic

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'totemic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.