icon

1 of 2

noun

ˈī-ˌkän 

variants or less commonly ikon

plural icons also ikons

1

: a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere

a civil rights icon

an actor and fashion icon

… Purple Rain, the flick that established Prince as a pop icon and cineaste.

—Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell

That cultural icon, the Nintendo Game Boy, was released in 1989 …

—Eleanor Flegg

2

: emblem, symbol

Rosie the Riveter, a WWII [World War II] cultural icon with her blue jumpsuit and red bandana, represented the women who went to work at manufacturing hubs across the nation …

—David DeBolt

A single photograph, the photograph of Earth taken from space by William Anders, on Apollo 8, in 1968, served as an icon for the entire environmental movement.

—Jill Lepore

The nation's first President was transformed into an icon, a national symbol whose somewhat forbidding portrait would adorn the dollar bill.

—John J. O'Connor

3

a

: a graphic symbol on a computer display screen that represents an app, an object (such as a file), or a function (such as the command to save)

b

: a sign (such as a word or graphic symbol) whose form suggests its meaning

c

archaic : a usually pictorial representation : image

4

[Late Greek eikōn, from Greek] in Eastern Orthodox Christianity : a representation (as in a mural, a mosaic, or a painting on wood) of sacred events or especially of a sacred individual (such as Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint) used as an object of veneration or a tool for instruction

icon-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or icono-

: image

iconolatry

Synonyms

Noun

• god
• hero
• idol

Examples of icon in a Sentence

Noun

Click on the icon to open your e-mail program.

He has become an icon in the movie business.

a singer who has become a pop icon

The Statue of Liberty has become an American cultural icon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Explore See latest videos, charts and news The festivities will kick-off on June 5 with the world premiere of Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, a profile of the life of the fashion designer and cultural icon directed by Tribeca alum Trish Dalton and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024

Split into artists, innovators, titans, leaders, icons, and pioneers, the list highlighted cultural lightning rods and move-makers across industries, with write-ups from their peers highlighting their impact and achievements. —Rivea Ruff, Essence, 17 Apr. 2024

As pop icon Taylor Swift has been touring the world, her concerts have an economy of their own. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024

Its Alto, developed in 1973, introduced the concept of a graphical user interface, with windows, icons, and a mouse for interaction. —IEEE Spectrum, 16 Apr. 2024

Related Articles Ex-SF Giants icon and Cardinals reserve Brandon Crawford saw plenty of games in Oakland as a youth Ken Holtzman, one of the Oakland A’s original Big Three pitchers, dies at the age of 78 The Cardinals scored in the first against Stripling on a run-scoring single by Arenado. —Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024

The Star Trek icon recounts in his new children’s book how he, his siblings and his parents were forcibly removed from their California home and imprisoned on American soil during World War II after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the event which brought the U.S. into the war. —Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024

They are constructed so that the priest and congregants face east toward the altar and crucifixion icon during worship. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024

The date happened to coincide with what would have been the country icon’s 92nd birthday. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin, from Greek eikōn, from eikenai to resemble

Combining form

Greek eikon-, eikono-, from eikon-, eikōn

First Known Use

Noun

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 3c

Kids Definition

icon

noun

variants also ikon

ˈī-ˌkän

1

: a religious image usually painted on a small wooden panel

2

: emblem sense 1, symbol

3

: a pictorial symbol on a computer screen