Totem
noun /ˈtəʊ.təm/ — A sacred symbol of identity, ancestral connection, or group spirit
Definition
A natural object — typically an animal — adopted as an emblem or symbol by a community, clan, or individual, believed to have spiritual significance and to represent ancestral connection. Extended to any object or symbol that represents identity or belonging.
Beyond the definition
The symbol that says who you are without words. A totem condenses identity into a single image — the animal that your people are, the object that represents your clan, the thing that carries the spirit of the group. It is identity made visible and portable.
Origin & history
From Ojibwe 'ototeman' (his totem, his clan). Borrowed into English in the 18th century through fur traders. The concept belongs to many Indigenous traditions worldwide, though the word is Algonquian. Extended broadly into psychoanalysis by Freud ('Totem and Taboo') and into anthropology by Lévi-Strauss.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The eagle was their totem — not just a symbol but a living presence that carried the spirit of the people who claimed it.
In Freud's reading, the totem is the earliest form of the sacred: the animal ancestor who must be revered and cannot be harmed.
Every subculture develops its totems — the objects, symbols, or figures that mark belonging and condense the identity of the group.
Synonyms
emblem, symbol, talisman, clan sign, sacred animal
Antonyms
individual, anonymous, unmarked
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Stone Griffin Statue
An unmistakable, weathered storybook sculpture of a griffin with eagle wings and a lion’s body stands guard over a small garden bridge.
A totem is a symbol adopted to represent a community or ancestral connection. The griffin, as a legendary creature with combined anatomy, serves as an emblem that represents specific traits or identity, illustrating the use of a symbolic object as a focal point for meaning and belonging.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration