talisman
noun
tal·is·man
ˈta-ləs-mən 
-ləz-
plural talismans
1
: an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune
2
: something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects
Did you know?
The English language may have borrowed talisman from French, Spanish, or Italian; all three include similar-looking words for a lucky charm that derive from an Arabic word for a charm, ṭilsam. Ṭilsam traces to ancient Greek telein, which means "to initiate into the mysteries."
Synonyms
Examples of talisman in a Sentence
a pendant of white nephrite jade is often worn by Indians as a talisman to ward off heart disease
Recent Examples on the Web
The chocolate gelt—half-off at that point, since Hannukah was usually over—felt like exotic talismans.
—
Joanna Solotaroff, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024
Isak is Newcastle’s talisman, so he is nailed on to start and will be the first-choice penalty taker too now that team-mate Callum Wilson (£6.9m) is injured again.
—Abdul Rehman, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Important people were at the meeting, and the napkin without question became the symbol, the talisman of the forthcoming tax-cut revolution.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
He’s been sensational this season and the talisman in Liverpool’s return to being a perennial challenger for all of soccer’s top trophies.
—Joe Prince-Wright, Nbc Sports, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for talisman 
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Joanna Solotaroff, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024
Isak is Newcastle’s talisman, so he is nailed on to start and will be the first-choice penalty taker too now that team-mate Callum Wilson (£6.9m) is injured again.
—Abdul Rehman, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Important people were at the meeting, and the napkin without question became the symbol, the talisman of the forthcoming tax-cut revolution.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
He’s been sensational this season and the talisman in Liverpool’s return to being a perennial challenger for all of soccer’s top trophies.
—Joe Prince-Wright, Nbc Sports, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for talisman
Dictionary Entries Near talisman
Cite this Entry
“Talisman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talisman. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
talisman
noun
tal·is·man
ˈtal-ə-smən
-əz-mən
plural talismans
: a ring or stone carved with symbols and believed to have magical powers : charm
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