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 2023, leisure travelers began discovering this iconic property anew after the Institute tapped Salamander Hotels & Resorts to reimagine the historic site designed by Bauhaus master Herbert Bayer. —Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025

The publisher says the novel ultimately aims to reveal the girl behind the bubbly stereotype, offering a deeper, more nuanced look at one of Oz’s most iconic characters. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Joyce’s Holiday Light Cupcakes In possibly the most iconic scene from season one, Joyce Byers paints the alphabet on the walls of her home and hangs holiday lights with one bulb lining up with each letter to communicate with her son Will in the Upside Down. —Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Nov. 2025

Santa Claus is a real Indiana town that is, of course, home to the iconic Holiday World theme park. —Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025

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