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

The parent company of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is taking legal action against rock band My Chemical Romance after dancers at a concert wore costumes resembling the cheerleaders’ iconic two piece-blue and white uniforms. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026

The movie is based on Anthony Yerkovich’s iconic 1980s TV cop show. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

The company that owns the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is taking legal action against My Chemical Romance and Live Nation over performers wearing uniforms resembling the cheerleaders' iconic look during the band's shows, according to court documents. — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

The name was chosen to emphasize the three restaurant chains, which PepsiCo considered iconic brands. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 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