icon

1 of 2

noun

ˈī-ˌkän 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• god
• hero
• idol

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

Noun

In years past, Chappelle was regarded as one of the greatest standup comedians of his generation, but his more recent specials have seen the Chappelle’s Show icon swerve into anti-trans rhetoric and long rants about Caitlyn Jenner. —Samantha Riedel, Them, 2 Jan. 2025

Recreating a cultural German icon Named partially after Norbert Singer, who began his career as a racing engineer in the development department of Porsche in 1970, the Singer Group now employs upwards of 600 staff in California and the UK. —Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 1 Jan. 2025

In addition to turning formerly C-list Marvel characters like Drax the Destroyer into global icons, Gunn is one of the few filmmakers who were able to imprint his own distinct style and tastes into this massive franchise that can too often feel (especially lately) a bit impersonal. —Christian Holub, EW.com, 30 Dec. 2024

In a fully fragmented landscape, few rappers turned pop culture juggernauts have become global icons more than Flav and Snoop Dogg. —Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2024

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

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

: emblem sense 1, symbol

4

: a pictorial symbol on a computer screen