totem pole

noun

plural totem poles

1

: a pole or pillar carved and painted with a series of totemic symbols representing family lineage and often mythical or historical incidents and erected by Indigenous peoples of the northwest coast of North America

2

: an order of rank : hierarchy

the people at the bottom/top of the totem pole

As low man on the totem pole [=the least important or least powerful person] I had to clean out the grease trap …

—David Brooks

Illustration of totem pole

• totem pole 1

Examples of totem pole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Blessedly, boatmance stuff is at the bottom of the totem pole of relevant storylines, at least for now, with Luke poised to cause some trouble. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 23 June 2026

And as the lowest professionals on the corporate totem pole, their rock-bottom salaries, job instability, and lack of savings may be keeping them home. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 June 2026

Surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, the city preserves the traditions of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples through towering cedar totem poles that tell stories of family lineage and legend. — Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Tremble, Sanders and Evans are the first three guys on the tight end totem pole. — Charlotte Observer, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for totem pole

• amphibole
• asystole
• buttonhole
• casserole
• centriole
• decontrol
• glycerol
• metropole
• monopole
• multipole
• omeprazole
• oriole

Kids Definition

totem pole

noun

: a pole carved and painted with symbols of totems and set up by Indigenous people of the northwest coast of North America