totem
noun
Simple meaning
The clan whose kinship is defined in reference to such an object or creature.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tohtuhmSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtoʊtəm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The clan whose kinship is defined in reference to such an object or creature.
A clan or tribe identified by their kinship to a common totemic object
Any natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe, clan or family; the representation of such an object or creature.
A tall object resembling a totem pole.
figuratively
A symbol or personification.
An arbitrarily chosen object serving as a reminder to check whether one is awake or not, to aid in having lucid dreams.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The clan whose kinship is defined in reference to such an object or creature.
Used this way, totem is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A tribal emblem consisting of a pillar carved and painted with totemic figures.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.