totem

noun/ˈtoʊtəm/

Frequency rank: #11,955 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

an object, animal, or symbol adopted as an emblem of a clan or family, often with spiritual significance.

Illustration for the English word “totem”

Example sentence

The carved wooden totem at the entrance of the village represented the community's ancestral spirits.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 11,901–12,000