icon

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noun

variants or less commonly ikon
plural icons also ikons
1
: a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere
a civil rights icon
an actor and fashion icon
… Purple Rain, the flick that established Prince as a pop icon and cineaste.Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell
That cultural icon, the Nintendo Game Boy, was released in 1989 …Eleanor Flegg
2
: emblem, symbol
Rosie the Riveter, a WWII [World War II] cultural icon with her blue jumpsuit and red bandana, represented the women who went to work at manufacturing hubs across the nation …David DeBolt
A single photograph, the photograph of Earth taken from space by William Anders, on Apollo 8, in 1968, served as an icon for the entire environmental movement.Jill Lepore
The nation's first President was transformed into an icon, a national symbol whose somewhat forbidding portrait would adorn the dollar bill.John J. O'Connor
3
a
: a graphic symbol on a computer display screen that represents an app, an object (such as a file), or a function (such as the command to save)
b
: a sign (such as a word or graphic symbol) whose form suggests its meaning
c
archaic : a usually pictorial representation : image
4
in Eastern Orthodox Christianity : a representation (as in a mural, a mosaic, or a painting on wood) of sacred events or especially of a sacred individual (such as Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint) used as an object of veneration or a tool for instruction

icon-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or icono-
: image
iconolatry

Examples of icon in a Sentence

Noun Click on the icon to open your e-mail program. He has become an icon in the movie business. a singer who has become a pop icon The Statue of Liberty has become an American cultural icon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Empire is full of bickering bureaucrats, which is fun to watch though bad for getting the Death Star done in a timely manner, and Darth Vader power walks into scenes that both undermine his icon status yet also cement it. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 May 2025 Women's lacrosse icon Charlotte North had a very specific routine during her career. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025 El Vuelo — all songs co-penned by the Mexican icon herself — serves as a testament to Trevi’s ability to reinvent herself dabbling with new styles and genres without losing her core pop sound. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 2 May 2025 In the weeks that followed, as tributes poured in for Bryant, so did remembrances of a junior college coaching icon and a father figure to scores of ballplayers. Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for icon

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Late Latin īcon-, īcōn, borrowed from Greek eikon-, eikṓn "representation, image, likeness," derivative from *u̯eik-, the base of the reduplicated perfect éoika "(I) am like, look like, resemble" (Attic infinitive eikénai), of uncertain origin; (sense 4) borrowed from Late Greek eikṓn, going back to Greek

Note: Conjectured relationship of the Greek verb with Lithuanian įvỹkti "to happen, occur," pavéikslas "picture, image, example," is now considered doubtful.

Combining form

Greek eikono-, combining form from eikon-, eikṓn "representation, image, likeness" — more at icon

First Known Use

Noun

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 3c

Time Traveler
The first known use of icon was in 1572

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Icon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icon. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

icon

noun
variants also ikon
ˈī-ˌkän
1
: a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere
2
: a religious image usually painted on a small wooden panel
3
4
: a pictorial symbol on a computer screen

More from Merriam-Webster on icon

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