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

Spirit, the iconic budget carrier known for its bright yellow planes and bare-bones service that became a punchline for late-night comedians, has struggled to survive. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the Louisiana native opens up about taking the stage with Travis — who suffered a life-altering stroke in 2013 — and details the challenges he's been met with and gives an uplifting update on the iconic country star's health. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026

An iconic gateway sign marking the entrance to the NoHo Arts District was relit on Thursday for the first time in more than a decade. —City News Service, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026

Martha Stewart, however—perhaps the least likely superstar to do so—is poking holes in that fantasy, giving us an iconic new selfie that feels wildly relatable to anyone familiar with the mayhem of getting ready. —Marci Robin, Allure, 24 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