totemism

T1O1T1E1M3I1S1M3
/ˈtoʊtəmɪzəm/

noun

The belief that a person or group has a special mystical relationship to a totem.

Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nountotemism (usually uncountable, plural totemisms)

plural totemisms

  1. uncountableusuallylifestyleThe belief that a person or group has a special mystical relationship to a totem.

    Although you see some representations of animals or gods in the form of animals, there's really no totemism or animism in Egyptian religion.

    1995 July 21, Sarah Bryan Miller, “What's New in Ancient Egypt”, in Chicago Reader
    2 more examples

    This is the common story of superstition, from the totemism of savage tribes and the image-worship of semi-civilized peoples on to the heathenism of the Mass.

    1883, R. Heber Newton, The Right and Wrong Uses of the Bible

    “The Happiness of Objects” doesn’t make it easy on the viewer. Mr. Mitchell’s book is, after all, an academic tome (though quite readable) that delves into complex discussions of everything from pictures, objects and materials to their relationship with totemism, fetishism and idolatry.

    2007 May 18, Martha Schwendener, “Proof That Things Are People Too (Well, Almost)”, in New York Times

Origin

From totem + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic طوطمية
  • طوطميةbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Bengali টোটেমবাদ
  • টোটেমবাদ (ṭōṭembad)belief in a special relationship to a totem
Catalan totemisme
  • totemismebelief in a special relationship to a totem
Chinese Mandarin 圖騰崇拜 /图腾崇拜, 圖騰信仰 /图腾信仰
  • 圖騰崇拜 /图腾崇拜 (túténg chóngbài)belief in a special relationship to a totem
  • 圖騰信仰 /图腾信仰 (túténg xìnyǎng)belief in a special relationship to a totem
  • 圖騰論 /图腾论belief in a special relationship to a totem
Czech totemismus
  • totemismusbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Dutch totemisme
  • totemismebelief in a special relationship to a totem
Esperanto totemismo
  • totemismobelief in a special relationship to a totem
Estonian totemism
  • totemismbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Finnish totemismi
  • totemismibelief in a special relationship to a totem
French totémisme
  • totémismebelief in a special relationship to a totem
German Totemismus
  • Totemismusbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Hungarian totemizmus
  • totemizmusbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Indonesian totemisme
  • totemismebelief in a special relationship to a totem
Italian totemismo
  • totemismobelief in a special relationship to a totem
Japanese トーテミズム
  • トーテミズム (tōtemizumu)belief in a special relationship to a totem
Korean 토템 숭배
  • 토템 숭배 (totem sungbae)belief in a special relationship to a totem
Persian توتمپرستی
  • توتمپرستیbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Polish totemizm
  • totemizmbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Romanian totemism
  • totemismbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Russian тотеми́зм
  • тотеми́зм (totɛmízm)belief in a special relationship to a totem
Slovak totemizmus
  • totemizmusbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Swedish totemism
  • totemismbelief in a special relationship to a totem
Ukrainian тотемізм
  • тотемізм (totemizm)belief in a special relationship to a totem
Cite this entry
APA

totemism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/totemism

MLA

“totemism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/totemism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “totemism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/totemism.

Source: totemism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.