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

Designed by Frank Gehry as part of the multi-billion-dollar Grand LA development, the hotel, with 305 room on 28 floors, occupies a prime location directly across from his most iconic creation, the Walt Disney Concert Hall. —David Hochman, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2025

In a hilarious video shared to her TikTok account Wednesday (Jan. 1), the 26-year-old pop star recreates an iconic scene from Ryan Murphy’s Glee — taking a slushie to the face in the process. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 2 Jan. 2025

Enter this limited-edition set from Chanel, featuring two beauty essentials and a beauty bag in the house’s iconic tweed. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 2 Jan. 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