iconic

play

adjective icon·ic \ ī-ˈkä-nik \

Definition of iconic

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

2 a :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

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iconically

play \ī-ˈkä-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of iconic from the Web

The iconic retailer that used a flashing blue light to alert shoppers to in-store special deals once could be found in a dozen towns across the south suburbs from Lansing to Bridgeview and beyond.

— bob bong, Daily Southtown, "Comings & Goings: Oak Lawn Kmart to close in November," 29 Aug. 2017
Take a Ride on Angels Flight After being closed for years, the iconic, bright orange funicular across from DTLA’s Grand Central Market is reopening just in time for Labor Day Weekend.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 10 Best Things to Do in L.A. for Labor Day Weekend," 28 Aug. 2017
Both Mayweather and McGregor have made nods to the iconic 1976 film Rocky and its sequels ahead of the fight.

— nancy kidder, The Atlantic, "Four Ways of Looking at Mayweather vs. McGregor," 25 Aug. 2017
A pair of docents led the outing, educating a group of more than a dozen adults and several enthusiastic boys about the iconic facility.

— joshua emerson smith, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tour of the Old Globe in Balboa Park gives locals behind-the-scene glimpse into iconic theatre," 20 Aug. 2017
The oil painting by the Dutch-American abstract expressionist is one in an iconic series by de Kooning that explores the figure of a woman.

— clarice silber, The Seattle Times, "After 30 years, museum gets stolen piece by modern master," 12 Aug. 2017
Gary Cooper is a noble sheriff who stands alone against a gang of killers in Fred Zinnemann's iconic Western.

— nick schager, Esquire, "Here Are the Must-Stream Movies of August 2017," 28 July 2017
Adrian Beltre is absolutely on fire with the bat and appeared ready to burn his way to baseball history and major league baseball’s iconic 3,000-hit milestone this weekend.

— vince langford, star-telegram, "Adrian Beltre update: Just two away from 3,000 hits after two hits Friday," 28 July 2017
Hot on the heels of Shannon Purser's Emmy nomination for playing the iconic role, Netflix has created the ultimate tribute to the character, in the form of a Justice for Barb shrine at Comic-Con.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "'Stranger Things' Fans Can Visit a "Justice for Barb" Shrine at Comic-Con," 22 July 2017

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.

Did You Know?

The original meaning of iconic was essentially "resembling an icon", but today it more often seems to mean "so admired that it could be the subject of an icon". And with that meaning, iconic has become part of the language of advertising and publicity; today companies and magazines and TV hosts are constantly encouraging us to think of some consumer item or pop star or show as first-rate or immortal or flawless—absolutely "iconic"—when he or she or it is actually nothing of the kind.