totemic

[toh-tem-ik]

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.

Other Word Forms

• subtotemic adjective
• totemically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of totemic¹

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

Example Sentences

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.

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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."

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

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

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Furlong is a totemic Lion but he has not been at his devastating best on tour so far.

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Related Words

• familial 
• tribal