iconic

adjective

icon·​ic ī-ˈkä-nik 

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

iconically

ī-ˈkä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

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

Curate your own Southeast Florida experience by blending iconic luxury with its local secrets. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

The Star Wars pieces are really just the cherry on top of an experience that takes you through a surprising variety of iconic artwork. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026

My next stop was Cayucos, another popular beach town with a pier, this one with a view of the iconic Morro Rock, likewise jutting into the ocean. — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

The origin story from Johnny & Kay’s restaurant Like a lot of iconic dishes, steak de Burgo comes with competing creation myths. — Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin īconicus "of a likeness or image," borrowed from Greek eikonikós "(of a statue) in the likeness (of someone)" (Late Greek, "pertaining to or employing images, representative, symbolic"), from eikon-, eikṓn "image, likeness" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at icon

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for iconic

• atonic
• benthonic
• bionic
• bosonic
• bubonic
• canonic
• carbonic
• cyclonic
• demonic
• dystonic
• hadronic
• harmonic