totem

noun

ˈtō-təm How to pronounce totem (audio)
Definition of totemnext
as in symbol
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark the bald eagle, that universally recognized totem of our country

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of totem Sculptures, totems and masks, skateboards, clothing, boomboxes, paintings, drawings, and a 1963 Buick Special, will be on view. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 4 June 2026 Trader Sam’s took its cues heavily from the Adventureland attraction, its bar flanked by tiki totems with slowly wandering eyes. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026 Ketchikan, Alaska, is known as the totem capital of the world and is home to one of the largest collections of standing totem poles anywhere. — Josh Rivera, USA Today, 13 May 2026 In the 1960s, with the rise of the counterculture, totems became an even more widespread trope. — Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for totem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totem
  1. symbol
  2. emblem
  3. logo
  4. hallmark
Noun
  • These suicides haunt an ambitious young architect, Yosoye, who is beginning work on a luxury development heralded as a symbol of Nigeria’s emergence onto the world stage.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Her beige suede pumps featured a gold Chanel emblem on the vamp, the iconic symbol of two interlocking C’s in ode to founder Coco Chanel.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 7 July 2026
Definition of symbol
Noun
  • More Jews report hiding their Star of David necklaces along with other Jewish emblems; 73% report experiencing antisemitism online.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Perhaps the most iconic emblem of July 4 is a nighttime sky full of fireworks, and this year will be no exception.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of emblem
Noun
  • So much for the logo-mania that, for years, defined China’s Gen Z and millennial shoppers.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • According to that ruling, all Division I teams will be permitted up to two commercial logos on their uniforms, each no larger than four square inches.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
Definition of logo
Noun
  • Competition, after all, has become the hallmark of this new regime.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
  • One of the hallmarks of the series is its dogged attention to detail, an aspect of storyboarding infinitely complicated by the non-linear nature of the episodes and the vast number of years Lestat’s life as a vampire spans.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2026
Definition of hallmark

Browse Nearby Words

toted (up)
totem
totems
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Cite this Entry

“Totem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totem. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on totem

Nglish: Translation of totem for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about totem

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