Synonyms

totemic

American

[toh-tem-ik] / toʊˈtɛm ɪk /

adjective

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.

They'd lost Leonard at the end of the first half, now the medics were rushing on to tend to the totemic Halkett.

From BBC • May 9, 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

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 • Nov. 6, 2025

High-rise New York apartments have acquired totemic significance for the superrich.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025

Aureliano Segundo was the unconquered eater until the luckless Saturday when Camila Sagastume appeared, a totemic female known all through the land by the good name of “The Elephant.”

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023