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 There, he’s attacked by The Denied, a militia group of non-benders who feel like second-class citizens in this world seeking an old totem of a prior Avatar known as Sonam. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 July 2026 The shrinekeeper greets bar patrons, gives them nicknames, will learn to recognize regulars, plays games of chess alone and with guests, and accepts tips that manifest into permanent flora or small totems within the microcosm of the work. — Gabriella Angeleti, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026 To drive home the importance of the Celine jean, Rider stacked them, totem-like and almost to the ceiling, in the company’s Paris headquarters. — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 17 June 2026 The company’s new label, King Snedley, defied every marketing totem and tradition ever created by the beer industry. — Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for totem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totem
  1. symbol
  2. emblem
  3. logo
  4. hallmark
Noun
  • The teaser video even included a shot of a fan with a beer cup snake, a symbol of the lack of focus in the bleachers.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Nara Prison is one of Japan’s famed Five Great Prisons of the Meiji era, symbols of the dawn of a new modern age for the nation, and the only one to survive today.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of symbol
Noun
  • People choose emblems, like a star or a flower, for a little flair.
    — Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The group’s early music was lo-fi, vintage-leaning, and just twee enough to make the scrappy garage rockers an emblem of early-mid aughts Urban Outfitters hipsterdom.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of emblem
Noun
  • The Murray Hill man wears a fleece vest embroidered with his employer’s logo (the bank, the fund) ten months out of the year.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Both company’s come together on a leather tag attached to the laces, featuring the brands’ logos.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of logo
Noun
  • The rhinestone trend is also a hallmark of Y2K nostalgia, which celebrates 2000s fashion and culture.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Those compounds are hallmarks of cacao, but they’re also found in yaupon holly, which grows all over the eastern US.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on totem

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about totem

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