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

Design Within Reach is a go-to for iconic modern furniture and decor from brands like Herman Miller and Fritz Hansen. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2026

The 137-room-hotel comes courtesy of Ian Schrager, the 80-year-old hotelier who co-founded the iconic Studio 54. — Meka Boyle, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

The iconic cheer team filed its lawsuit last month, claiming the knockoff versions of its signature blue-and-white uniforms were used without authorization during a mock gun battle onstage. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026

And Brown Sugar Bakery bakes the iconic cupcakes, including the caramel and the Obama with red velvet, chocolate and yellow cake layers, vanilla cream cheese frosting, finished in chocolate and pecans. — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 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