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

He said the case "became sort of totemic of the distraction of issues that it felt like a different part of government were fascinated by".

From BBC • Jan. 2, 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

Aureliano Segundo was the unconquered eater until the luckless Saturday when Camila Sagastume appeared, a totemic female known all through the land by the good name of “The Elephant.”

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez