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

Last summer, Wrexham manager Parkinson conducted his press duties in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, just a few days after doing similar with the Australian media outside the iconic Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Or, take a hint from the vintage photos in your suite; some depict Harbor Fish Market, the iconic purveyor on the waterfront. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 July 2026

The four answers Affleck had to choose from included the McRib, a McCrispy, the iconic Filet-O-Fish sandwich, and a classic Big Mac. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026

The most iconic species that resides in the Okefenokee NWR, is the American alligator. — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 23 July 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