icon

noun \ ˈī-ˌkän \

variants: or less commonly ikon

Definition of icon

1 :a usually pictorial representation :image

[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

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

b :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

Chess icon, former world champion Garry Kasparov came out of retirement to play in this particular event.

— michael ciamarra, AL.com, "State chess championship preview, Sinquefield Cup brilliant game," 30 Aug. 2017
My Greek Orthodox grandparents’ house had Byzantine icons of Jesus on virtually every wall.

— stav dimiropoulos, Discover Magazine, "Trying to Lose My Religion," 21 Aug. 2017
Dylan Sprouse, Disney Channel icon and brother of Cole, took to Twitter on Wednesday to share his first (and likely only) statement on the status of his relationship.

— peggy truong, Cosmopolitan, "Dylan Sprouse Has Responded to Those Cheating Rumors," 17 Aug. 2017
Getty While the defamation lawsuit brought against Taylor Swift by David Mueller has been dismissed, the pop icon is still in court thanks to her countersuit.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "Kesha Lends Support to Taylor Swift During Her Sexual Assault Trial," 14 Aug. 2017
The San Diego native’s killing spree in the spring and summer of 1997 culminated in the point-blank shooting of Gianni Versace on the steps of the fashion icon’s Miami Beach mansion.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "20 years later: Cunanan, Versace and celebrity culture," 24 July 2017
The Soviet Union spent millions planting its icons in the West.

— The Economist, "Engels returns to Manchester," 20 July 2017
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

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

icon Synonyms

Synonyms

god, hero, idol (also ikon)

Antonyms

nobody, noncelebrity

Related Words

beau ideal, classic, exemplar, ideal, model, nonpareil, paragon

Near Antonyms

lightweight, mediocrity; has-been

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

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