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

So to have our own…with our faces on it is just so iconic. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

Create a custom instant ramen and dive into the history of Japan’s most iconic dish at the Cup Noodles Museum. —Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026

Facing political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez brought Chicano stories from the fields to the big screen with works such as Zoot Suit and La Bamba, creating iconic works that challenge, celebrate, and expand the history of the United States. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026

Art Awakens is a short-form series that uses AI to reveal the inner worlds of the most iconic paintings ever made. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Apr. 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