iconography

noun

ico·​nog·​ra·​phy ˌī-kə-ˈnä-grə-fē 

plural iconographies

1

: the traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject and especially a religious or legendary subject

2

: pictorial material relating to or illustrating a subject

3

: the imagery or symbolism of a work of art, an artist, or a body of art

4

: iconology

Did you know?

If you saw a 17th-century painting of a man writing at a desk with a lion at his feet, would you know you were looking at St. Jerome, translator of the Bible, who, according to legend, once pulled a thorn from the paw of a lion, which thereafter became his devoted friend? And if a painting showed a young woman reclining on a bed with a shower of gold descending on her, would you recognize her as Danaë, locked up in a tower to keep her away from the lustful Zeus, who then managed to gain access to her by transforming himself into golden light (or golden coins)? An iconographic approach to art can make museum-going a lot of fun—and amateur iconographers know there are also plenty of symbols lurking in the images that advertisers bombard us with daily.

Examples of iconography in a Sentence

the iconography of the 1960s

Recent Examples on the Web

When the Ralph Lauren alum first set up shop in New York City’s West Village in 2001, the shrunken gray flannel ensembles shook up the fashion world and have now become part of the brand’s design iconography. —Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 18 July 2025

In the years since, Trump has repeatedly posted memes that include QAnon iconography. —Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 16 July 2025

Some supporters have called for more Everton iconography inside the stadium. —Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 7 July 2025

Taller Marmo’s founders Riccardo Audisio and Yago Goicoechea previously paid tribute to the iconography of Helmut Newton and Slim Aarons in the brand’s resort 2025 and spring 2025 campaigns, respectively. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin īconographia "making of images," borrowed from Greek eikonographía "sketch, description" (Late Greek, "making of images"), from eikono- icono- + -graphia -graphy

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for iconography

• bibliography
• choreography
• chromatography
• crystallography
• hagiography
• lexicography
• metallography
• myelography
• oceanography
• physiography
• plethysmography
• polarography