totemic
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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
Etymology
Origin of totemic
First recorded in 1840–50; totem ( def. ) + -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"These things that I have built are totemic creatures but also prayer for the existence and continuation of the existence of creatures and insects."
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
For his followers, Nemtsov is a totemic figure in Russian political life -- seen as a once-future leader who might have taken the country on a different path.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
Picasso’s Cubism introduced Lam not only to European modernism but also to its sources—African masks and totemic art, to which Lam, understandably, felt a familial connection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
Furlong is a totemic Lion but he has not been at his devastating best on tour so far.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2025
For Bobby, the building was a totemic destination since it also contained the offices of the U.S.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
