totemic

American  

[toh-tem-ik] / toʊˈtɛm ɪk /

adjective

1. of, being, or relating to a natural object or animate being, as an animal or bird, assumed as the emblem of a clan, family, or group.

   Crocodiles are regarded as totemic animals in some parts of Africa, connected with a group's origin, ancestors, and place.

2. of, being, or relating to anything regarded as a distinctive or venerated emblem by a group or individual.

   I explained that the great horse trilogy, My Friend Flicka, was one of the most vivid and totemic elements of my childhood.

   This has been a totemic issue for their party over the years, literally a signature policy during the last election.

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Other Word Forms

• subtotemic adjective
• totemically adverb

Etymology

Origin of totemic

First recorded in 1840–50; totem ( def. ) + -ic

Example Sentences

He said the case "became sort of totemic of the distraction of issues that it felt like a different part of government were fascinated by".

From BBC

He didn’t have the totemic, darkly glamorous style of Robert Mapplethorpe but one more intimate, more dependent on human connection and contingency, even as he remained meticulous in his pursuit of the perfect shot.

From The Wall Street Journal

The CST said: "Both of these cases illustrate how sentiment and rhetoric towards Israel and Zionism influence, shape and drive contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, online and offline, often around totemic events that grab mainstream public attention."

From BBC

He said the trust cared for the "totemic symbol" on behalf of the nation and it "belonged to the people".

From BBC

The Sycamore Gap wasn't a particularly ancient tree, nor a native species, but its position gave it a totemic status.

From BBC

Related Words

• familial
• tribal