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

Within its walls lies a complete world with its own medical facilities, a cinema, shops, and large replicas of iconic monuments, including the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026

Guests will learn how to make UNO’s iconic deep dish pizza from scratch, guided by experienced chefs from dough preparation to topping selection. —Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026

The front steps of the iconic Haunted Mansion attraction at the park will be available as a location for visitors to tie the knot, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons said in a Wednesday news release. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026

Sustainable battery design To develop the carbon spheres, Elsaesser and his research team drew inspiration from Mozartkugeln, the iconic Austrian confections made of pistachio, marzipan, and nougat and coated in dark chocolate. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 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