icon

noun \ ˈī-ˌkän \

variants: or less commonly ikon

Updated on: 17 Apr 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

Scalia -- who would go on to become an outspoken conservative icon on the Supreme Court -- wasn't finished.

— CNN, "Trump judicial nominee refuses to say if landmark civil rights opinion was correctly decided," 12 Apr. 2018
Mariah Carey is a larger-than-life celebrity who has been an icon for decades.

— emma sarran webster, Allure, "Mariah Carey Just Opened Up About Her Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis," 11 Apr. 2018
The trooper who arrested Bland was ultimately fired and Bland became an icon of the Black Lives Matter movement.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "9 things about Diamond and Silk: Why Facebook says Trump-loving sisters are 'unsafe' | The Kansas City Star," 10 Apr. 2018
It's been serving food and drink on 8th Street, downtown since 1861, and is an icon of Cincinnati dining.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "New chef at Arnold's," 6 Apr. 2018
One of the last surviving members of King’s inner circle, the 78-year-old Lewis is an icon of the movement.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "King ‘Inspired Me to Get in Trouble’," 4 Apr. 2018
Frida Kahlo, to me, your name is synonymous with feminism, artistry authenticity, and being an icon.

— fresh u, Teen Vogue, "Frida Kahlo Is My Hero," 30 Mar. 2018
Katharine Hepburn, a Wintonbury Historical Society Program: Wednesday, April 4, 6:30 p.m. With a stage and film career that spanned six decades, Hepburn is an American icon.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Windsor Edition," 27 Mar. 2018
For centuries, wild horses were an icon of the Western landscape, according to Philipps’ book.

— bob kustra and the reader’s corner team, idahostatesman, "Reader’s Corner: A timely look at America’s mustangs and their place in the Western landscape | Idaho Statesman," 23 Mar. 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