iconic

adjective

icon·ic ī-ˈkä-nik

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an icon

: widely recognized and well-established

an iconic brand name

: 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 From ‘Raiders’ to ‘Last Crusade’ and more, here’s how to watch every Indiana Jones movie in order Comments Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic cinematic characters of all time. —

Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2024 Marshall presided over the show while some of its most iconic guests duked it out for circles and squares. —

Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2024 Traveling over Greater Cincinnati's most iconic bridge will likely get a little trickier over the next couple of weeks. —

Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 16 Aug. 2024 Lips 16 Best Red Lipsticks Your Makeup Bag Needs, According to Allure Editors Now, watch BIBI break down her most iconic music videos: Shop all of our latest obsessions in one place! —

Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for iconic

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iconic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.