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

There were in fact talks with the NBA about using the Lakers iconography. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026

The hit show adapts the iconography of the beloved games while continuing to establish its own identity as one of the most creative shows on television. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2026

Open to the public from Tuesday through Sunday, the installation will invite visitors to interact with the pieces of the game, which have been reimagined with the brand’s iconography, including queens with crowns inspired by Clive Christian’s signature perfume bottles. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026

The image showed Trump in a long robe, his hand on the forehead of a sick man as light radiated from his palms, with a nurse, soldier and American iconography surrounding him. —Sophie Brams, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2026

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