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

Set the scene The Joshua Tree Retreat Center is an iconic landmark in the High Desert. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026

Back in Manchester, Best’s son Calum presented an exhibition called Twenty Years Of Immortal Legacy, comprising 40 artworks celebrating many of his father’s iconic moments. —Andy Mitten, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026

Devoted fans are as iconic as its designs, including Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco and American heiress Barbara Hutton. —Micaela English, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026

More large-scale battles are teased — including what appears to be the iconic Battle of the Gullet, where Rhaenyra’s son Jace flies his dragon against House Velaryon’s navy. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 19 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