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

Many of downtown Louisville's iconic mid-20th century department stores have been repurposed into new businesses. —Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Dec. 2025

Other entries on the list include a pair of former elementary schools, the home of one of Nashville's earliest settlers and an iconic recording studio. —Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Dec. 2025

The dwindling sea ice also means critical habitats for iconic species such as polar bears and walrus are fast disappearing. —Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025

Leavitt is set to make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the upcoming production of Chicago, following in the footsteps of many stars who've stepped into the iconic role. —Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025

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