high on the totem pole
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Having a high rank or position of authority
Literally: a high position on a Native American totem pole
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
She's high on the totem pole at her company
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “high on the totem pole” mean?
Having a high rank or position of authority Literally: a high position on a Native American totem pole
Is “high on the totem pole” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.