totemic

totem +‎ -ic

• IPA^(key): /təʊˈtɛmɪk/
• Rhymes: -ɛmɪk

totemic (not comparable)

1. Serving as, or relating to, a totem.
   • 2019 January 23, Alex Needham, “Jonas Mekas, titan of underground filmmaking, dies aged 96”, in The Guardian‎:

     The Lithuanian director escaped the Nazis and moved to New York, where he became a totemic figure for artists including Andy Warhol and John Lennon[.]

   • 2022 October 17, Jessica Elgot, Larry Elliott, Aubrey Allegretti, “Jeremy Hunt shreds Truss’s economic plans in astounding U-turn on tax”, in The Guardian‎:

     Hunt also refused to rule out cuts to totemic Conservative pledges, including defence spending and the pensions triple lock.

   • 2023 May 10, Elie Dolgin, “Scientists Unveil a More Diverse Human Genome”, in The New York Times‎:

     Gone is the idea of a totemic strand of DNA that extends six feet when uncoiled and stretched out in a straight line. Now, the rebooted reference resembles a corn maze, with alternative paths and side trails that allow scientists to explore a broader range of the genetic diversity found in people the world over.

• emblematic

• metotic

Borrowed from French totémique.

totemic m or n (feminine singular totemică, masculine plural totemici, feminine and neuter plural totemice)

1. totemic