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

Writer-director Gunn’s first new Superman trailer takes flight Thursday morning, with hopes of inspiring audiences to once more look up to DC’s iconic superhero. —Mark Hughes, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

This iconic porcelain 'Platinum Wave' pattern from Noritake is still being produced—and might be in your mother's china cupboard! —Sandra S. Soria, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024

Hamm portrayed the iconic protagonist for 92 episodes of the AMC series, which ran from 2007 to 2015. —Emily Longeretta, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024

As part of its programming for the upcoming Frieze Los Angeles fair, Hauser & Wirth will restage David Hammons’s iconic work Concerto in Black and Blue (2002) for the first time since its debut more than 20 years ago. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024

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