View synonyms for

totemic

[toh-tem-ik]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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.

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Other Word Forms

subtotemic adjective
totemically adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of totemic¹

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

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Rail funding has become a totemic issue in Welsh politics, with the lack of knock-on funding for Wales from High Speed 2 repeatedly raised with the First Minister Eluned Morgan.

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Indeed, the totemic figure in this period was the hard-working "Polish plumber" who, in the popular imagination, was willing to work for lower wages than his British counterpart.

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David Davis who, as Brexit minister, led some of the original negotiations for the UK, told me fishing was "totemic" for Brussels.

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Most people miss most political debates most of the time, but some are sufficiently totemic they are not just noticed but make the political weather.

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Former cabinet minister Louise Haigh, who resigned last year, has hit out at the winter fuel cuts, adding that they had become a "totemic" issue for many voters.

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Related Words

familial��
tribal��

totem totemism

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