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

In the men’s collection, this comes to life through tracksuits with looser fits and red, black and white color blocking featuring adidas’ iconic 3-Stripes, alongside Tyshawn denim shorts, as well as tees and jacquard jerseys in neutral tones. —Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026

The latest film in the iconic horror-comedy franchise — which has Neve Campbell reprising her role as Sidney Prescott and series creator Kevin Williamson directing for the first time — has potentially the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of the series. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 Feb. 2026

The official timekeeper of the games has taken up residence in the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the world’s oldest and most historic shopping malls built in 1877. —Katie Gunderman, SELF, 26 Feb. 2026

An exact replica of the iconic Presque Isle Lighthouse in Erie is the newest model to join the 80-by-30-foot Miniature Railroad and Village, which has nearly 60 displays that tell the story of western Pennsylvania. —Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 26 Feb. 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