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."
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
Prima thought about the possibility that there was a person in the world—perhaps Ruth was this person or would someday be this person—for whom Prima’s name was this kind of talisman.
—
Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
Mbeumo is Brentford’s talisman and is one of the few attackers in the league who will play 90 minutes almost every game.
—Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 2 May 2025
His World Series magic couldn't get the Royals over the hump in October, but that was the clearest example yet of the type of roster talisman Smith has been.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Raphinha’s renaissance may have been stealing all the headlines, but Lewandowski is still Barcelona’s talisman.
—Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for talisman
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
Mbeumo is Brentford’s talisman and is one of the few attackers in the league who will play 90 minutes almost every game.
—Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 2 May 2025
His World Series magic couldn't get the Royals over the hump in October, but that was the clearest example yet of the type of roster talisman Smith has been.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Raphinha’s renaissance may have been stealing all the headlines, but Lewandowski is still Barcelona’s talisman.
—Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for talisman
Cite this Entry
“Talisman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talisman. Accessed 13 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share