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Totem Has Roots in an Algonquian Language
Totem comes to us from Ojibwa, an Algonquian language spoken by an American Indian people from the regions around Lake Superior. The most basic form of the word in Ojibwa is believed to be ote, but 18th-century English speakers encountered it as ototeman (meaning "his totem"), which became our word totem. In its most specific sense, totem refers to an emblematic depiction of an animal or plant that gives a family or clan its name and that often serves as a reminder of its ancestry. The term is also used broadly for any person or thing having particular emblematic or symbolic importance. The related adjective totemic describes something that serves as a totem, that depicts totems ("totemic basketry," for example), or that has the nature of a totem.
Examples of totem in a Sentence
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Ketchikan, Alaska, is known as the totem capital of the world and is home to one of the largest collections of standing totem poles anywhere.
—Josh Rivera, USA Today, 13 May 2026
In the 1960s, with the rise of the counterculture, totems became an even more widespread trope.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
In his work exist iconic signs of beloved local establishments — like the Playpen — the blinding glint reflecting off downtown’s skyline, telephone poles regarded as totems.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for totem
Cite this Entry
“Totem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totem. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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totem
noun
