iconic

adjective

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icon·ic | \ ī-ˈkä-nik

Definition of iconic

1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an icon

2a : widely recognized and well-established an iconic brand name

b : widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence an iconic writer a region's iconic wines

Other Words from iconic Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About iconic

Did you know?

The original meaning of iconic was essentially "resembling an icon," but today it often describes what is so admired that it could be the subject of an icon. And with that use, iconic has become part of the language of advertising and publicity: companies and magazines and TV hosts encourage us to think of some consumer item or pop star or show as first-rate or immortal or flawless—absolutely "iconic"—when that person or thing is actually simply widely known and—they assert—distinctively excellent.

Examples of iconic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Boudin was an iconic character in the American imagination. — Rachael Bedard, The New Yorker, 7 May 2022 Tom Hanks' iconic character Forrest Gump lives a life full of adventure as history unfolds. — Yaa Bofah, Good Housekeeping, 6 May 2022 Though representatives chose not to discuss those who weren’t invited for the iconic balcony moment, today’s news rules out any possibility for non-working royals to appear. — Omid Scobie, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 May 2022 Each is led by an iconic character such as Yoda, R2D2, Chewbacca or BB-8. — Maria Jimenez Moya, USA TODAY, 4 May 2022 Pixar has Lightyear, the first theatrical feature spinoff of the Toy Story films which follows the iconic Toy Story character, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear. — Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Apr. 2022 And ever since, Stallone has continued to see himself as something of an underdog with plenty in common with that iconic character. — Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 26 Apr. 2022 Handcrafted by designer Christina Montoya with burnout silk and freshwater pearl flower embellishments, this look assembled by celeb stylist Erin Walsh is an iconic moment that will surely go down as one of Dove's best looks. — Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 21 Apr. 2022 The photo showed Ford, 79, wearing the iconic character's brown fedora and a brown leather jacket over a beige button-down shirt. — Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, 14 Apr. 2022 See More

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