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

talismanic

ˌta-ləs-ˈma-nik 

-ləz-

adjective

talismanically

ˌta-ləs-ˈma-ni-k(ə-)lē 

-ləz-

adverb

Did you know?

Whether your personal lucky charm takes the form of a pink heart, yellow moon, orange star, green clover, or something else, the English language has got you covered, offering a bowlful of synonyms for magical objects. There’s mojo and amulet, periapt and phylactery, to name just a few. Talisman is another, and the mystery of its origins reflects the ubiquity of magical charms across cultures, languages, and time. The English language may have borrowed talisman from French, Spanish, or Italian; all three include similar-looking words that in turn come from the Arabic word for a charm, ṭilsam. Ṭilsam traces back to the ancient Greek verb telein, which means “to initiate into the mysteries [secret religious rites].”

Synonyms of talisman

• amulet

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

Nottingham Forest’s talisman followed up his recent 20-point haul with another double-digit return in his team’s 5-0 win over Sunderland on Friday night. —Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

In the dying days of the Russian Empire, highborn ladies would willingly cut the dirty fingernails of the peasant Grigori Rasputin and then sew the clippings onto their dresses like sacred talismans. —Gerard Degroot, Air Mail, 25 Apr. 2026

Like a talisman, anchoring to the here and now, to both the present tense and the constant, impermeability of time, where this one moment, this one oar dipping into water in a lake, is happening now, to me, to you, but also always, but also everywhere. —Julia Hass, Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026

While his fans celebrated in the stands, City’s talisman sent the millions of viewers sitting in pubs and at home a message. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French talisman or Spanish talismán or Italian talismano; all from Arabic ṭilsam, from Middle Greek telesma, from Greek, consecration, from telein to initiate into the mysteries, complete, from telos end — more at telos

First Known Use

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids 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