totemic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For his followers, Nemtsov is a totemic figure in Russian political life -- seen as a once-future leader who might have taken the country on a different path.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Picasso’s Cubism introduced Lam not only to European modernism but also to its sources—African masks and totemic art, to which Lam, understandably, felt a familial connection.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

The CST said: "Both of these cases illustrate how sentiment and rhetoric towards Israel and Zionism influence, shape and drive contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, online and offline, often around totemic events that grab mainstream public attention."

From BBC • Aug. 6, 2025

The Sycamore Gap wasn't a particularly ancient tree, nor a native species, but its position gave it a totemic status.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

Interspersed amid these totemic items were stray Q-tips and cotton balls, lip liners, Max Factor eye makeup, mascara, blush, and everything else I used in a losing battle to make myself beautiful.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides