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

Flos was founded in Merano, Italy, in 1962 and boasts an extensive catalogue of iconic lamps created by legendary design names — Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Ron Gilad, Michael Anastassiades and Vincent Van Duysen among them. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 16 Jan. 2025

Next, wander to Parque España and Parque México, the Condesa neighborhood’s iconic parks. —Jennifer Fernández Solano, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

At the heart of this violent and ongoing conflict are some of the continent’s most iconic wildlife species. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 16 Jan. 2025

While looking back at some of her notable career looks in a Jan. 15 interview with British Vogue, the actress, 55, examined the wardrobe of perhaps her most iconic character, Bridget Jones — and revealed that Grant, 64, may still have a (slightly NSFW) piece from it. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025

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