Definition of ICONIC

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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.

Examples of iconic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Created by FXitinPost, a new YouTube site dedicated to recreating iconic scenes with modern FX magic, the creators did an incredible job updating Star Wars: A New Hope's Scene 38. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "This Reimagined Star Wars Fight Scene Is Amazing—but Mostly Makes Me Sad," 8 May 2019 Considered one of the city’s most iconic architectural structures, The Notre-Dame has undergone extensive renovations for years, which, according to many officials could be the cause of the fire. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris Catches Fire," 15 Apr. 2019 One of the most iconic of his career, the Rich Man's Frug scene in 1969's Sweet Charity not only offered up three different interpretations of the Frug dance craze, but put the power ponytail on the map to extraordinary effect. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "How Bob Fosse Productions Transformed Beauty, From Directional Eyes to Power Ponytails," 9 Apr. 2019 Other scrolls are covered with paintings of iconic scenes. — Emily Ferguson, WSJ, "The Legacy of a Japanese Classic," 22 Feb. 2019 In addition to his designs and sharp humor, Lagerfeld was known for his iconic look: a low ponytail, oversized sunglasses, and a black and white suit. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Karl Lagerfeld Passes Away in Paris," 19 Feb. 2019 Joe Jonas celebrated the premiere of Game of Thrones Season 8 by dressing up as his fiancée Sophie Turner's iconic character, Sansa Stark. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Joe Jonas Dressed Up as Sansa Stark to Celebrate the Return of Game of Thrones," 15 Apr. 2019 With the wind blowing out at Chicago’s iconic ballpark, Anthony Rizzo and David Bote also connected to help Chicago win for the third time in four games on its first homestand of the year. — Jay Cohen, The Seattle Times, "Hamels helps Cubs beat Trout-less Angels 5-1," 12 Apr. 2019 And now Madonna's MDNA Skin has teamed up with the iconic Italian design house on new skin-care sets — and the price points are a wee bit different. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Madonna’s MDNA Collaborated on Luxury Skin-Care Sets With Moschino," 30 Mar. 2019

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.