iconic

adjective

icon·​ic ī-ˈkä-nik 

1

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an icon

2

a

: widely recognized and well-established

an iconic brand name

b

: widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence

an iconic writer

a region's iconic wines

iconically

ī-ˈkä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

The original meaning of iconic was essentially "resembling an icon," but today it often describes what is so admired that it could be the subject of an icon. And with that use, iconic has become part of the language of advertising and publicity: companies and magazines and TV hosts encourage us to think of some consumer item or pop star or show as first-rate or immortal or flawless—absolutely "iconic"—when that person or thing is actually simply widely known and—they assert—distinctively excellent.

Examples of iconic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some iconic moments from the decade include the installation of the 120-foot Louisville Slugger baseball bat in downtown, the winning elections of former Kentucky Governors Brereton Jones and Paul Patton, the Cardinals winning the 1991 Fiesta Bowl and the completion of the Capital Holding Center. —Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Dec. 2025

That was followed by New York City, which boasts an endless array of holiday cheer in the form of iconic ice skating rinks, festive holiday markets, renowned performances like the Radio City Rockettes, over-the-top department store window displays, and more. —Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2025

The brand-new Zodiac Collection features a set of 12 fine fragrance mists crafted to embody each zodiac sign’s most iconic traits. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025

PeriFeria is an off-frame chronicle of Spain’s most iconic flamenco celebration. —Photovogue, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin īconicus "of a likeness or image," borrowed from Greek eikonikós "(of a statue) in the likeness (of someone)" (Late Greek, "pertaining to or employing images, representative, symbolic"), from eikon-, eikṓn "image, likeness" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at icon

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for iconic

• atonic
• benthonic
• bionic
• bosonic
• bubonic
• canonic
• carbonic
• cyclonic
• demonic
• dystonic
• hadronic
• harmonic