icon

play

noun \ˈī-ˌkän\

variants: or less commonly

ikon

Definition of icon

1 : a usually pictorial representation : image
2 [Late Greek eikōn, from Greek] : a conventional religious image typically painted on a small wooden panel and used in the devotions of Eastern Christians
3 : an object of uncritical devotion : idol
4 : emblem, symbol the house became an icon of 1960's residential architecture — Paul Goldberger
5a : a sign (such as a word or graphic symbol) whose form suggests its meaningb : a graphic symbol on a computer display screen that represents an object (such as a file) or function (such as the command to delete)

See icon defined for English-language learners

See icon defined for kids

Examples of icon in a Sentence

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 of icon from the Web

After quickly becoming prominent as a House member in his first election in 1982, Mr. McCain won the Senate seat given up by the Arizona icon Barry Goldwater in 1986.

— carl hulse, New York Times, "John McCain Has Brain Cancer, Senator’s Office Says," 19 July 2017
Gucci, Rae and Uzi have all become pop culture icons with millions of views on YouTube.

— chris haghirian,, kansascity, "Concert Chris: The biggest hip hop shows of the summer + more July music," 18 July 2017
Lewis, who is a Civil Rights icon, was there to have a conversation with former Obama campaign manager and CNN host David Axelrod about Lewis’ experiences leading the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "Congressman John Lewis Was Moved To Tears By Civil Rights Exhibit," 17 July 2017
NO ONE knew quite how the accident happened: how at some point in the 1970s Heathcote Williams set himself alight on the doorstep of his lover, Jean Shrimpton, an icon of the age, and ended up in Charing Cross hospital.

— The Economist, "The last of the fire-breathersObituary: Heathcote Williams died on July 1st," 15 July 2017
An international fashion icon gunned down in broad daylight on Miami Beach’s most famous street.

— david ovalle and joey flechas, miamiherald, "After 20 years, the spectacle of the Versace murder still intrigues and baffles," 14 July 2017
Women forced to practice Chaupadi in Nepal are banished from the home—barred from touching food, religious icons, cattle and men—and forced into a monthly exile sleeping in basic huts.

— abigail jones, MSNBC Newsweek, "The Period Movement: Meet the Men Fighting to Stop Menstruation-Shaming in the Developing World," 12 July 2017
As a celebrity and a pop-culture icon, Trump was riding higher than ever.

— joshua green, Bloomberg.com, "The Remaking of Donald Trump," 6 July 2017
There's a good story behind why post-punk icon Tommy Stinson, the jittery, compulsive and combustible engine of the Replacements, is bringing his acoustic tour to Louisville's Surface Noise Records.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "There's a good story behind why Tommy Stinson is playing in Louisville," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'icon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of icon

Latin, from Greek eikōn, from eikenai to resemble

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1572

See Words from the same year

Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

icon-

combining form

variants: or

icono-

Definition of icon-

: image iconolatry

Origin and Etymology of icon-

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

ICON Defined for English Language Learners

icon

play

noun

Definition of icon for English Language Learners

computers : a small picture on a computer screen that represents a program or function
: a person who is very successful and admired
: a widely known symbol

ICON Defined for Kids

icon

noun \ˈī-ˌkän\

Definition of icon for Students

1 : a widely known symbol The Statue of Liberty has become an icon of freedom.
2 : a person who is very successful or admired a pop icon
3 : a religious image usually painted on a small wooden panel
4 : a small picture or symbol on a computer screen that represents a function that the computer can perform