Definition of ICONIC (original) (raw)
1
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an icon
2
a
: widely recognized and well-established
b
: widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence
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
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.
This letterman jacket became iconic and inspired the team to produce a remake in 2023, which sold for $400 at the Eagles’ Pro Shop locations. —
Caleb Mezzy, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025 The iconic Goody Girls Cooking Team ended up donating a lot of their signage to give the food tents and dance floor a truly local flavor; the team that actually won the rodeo barbecue ended up appearing on camera as Guy’s (Simon Rex) cooking team. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2025 Tune in to on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET to catch a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview when the Boston Celtics take on the New York Knicks in the iconic Madison Square Garden arena. —Kilty Cleary, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025 The family beamed as Ewan accepted the iconic honor. —Michelle Lee, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for iconic 
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of iconic was in 1656
Dictionary Entries Near iconic
Cite this Entry
“Iconic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconic. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on iconic
Last Updated: 12 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!