icon

noun \ ˈī-ˌkän \

variants: or less commonly ikon

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

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

The idea of the 'French girl' as a beauty and style icon is inescapable.

— leah prinzivalli, Glamour, "10 Women Who Defy the 'French-Girl Beauty' Trope," 14 July 2018
Meanwhile, the left has glitter-gunned her into a kitsch icon.

— sara benincasa, Longreads, "Great Reviews Of Movies I Have Never Seen: A Reading List," 13 July 2018
China allowed her to leave the country Tuesday, ending an eight-year house arrest that made the soft-spoken, chain-smoking 57-year-old poet with a shaven head a tragic icon known around the world.

— gerry shih, The Seattle Times, "Nobel widow allowed to leave China after long house arrest," 10 July 2018
Angelique Kerber is the new Wimbledon champion, but Serena Williams is walking away from the match an icon.

— refinery29.com, "Serena Williams Walks Away From Wimbledon With A Glow-Up," 14 July 2018
This definitive memoir traces the arc of his life from a small village, to his years as a revolutionary, to his long imprisonment, and ultimately his ascension to unifying President, leader, and global icon.

— bridget read, Vogue, "Barack Obama's New Summer Reading List Has a Theme," 13 July 2018
And now, his icon status is getting fuel from an unlikely place: local library paint-alongs with wait lists to get in.

— julia lyon, Washington Post, "People are waiting in line. Is it Hamilton? No, it’s Bob Ross on YouTube.," 13 July 2018
One lucky biker can win a classic motorcycle formerly owned (and signed) by Boston rock icon Steven Tyler of Aerosmith in Bridgewater this week.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Tea by the sea, Korean peace medals, and $2,000 to fight hunger," 13 July 2018
For more info: PASSAGE: Tab Hunter The Hollywood star and gay icon died on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at age 86.

— CBS News, "This week on "Sunday Morning" (July 15)," 12 July 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

icon Synonyms

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