iconic

Also i·con·i·cal

[ahy-kon-ik]

adjective

1. widely considered to epitomize an era, culture, community, place, etc.; representative.

   The iconic figure of punk rock reunited with her bandmates for a final performance.

   We boarded one of London’s iconic double-decker buses.

2. celebrated, revered, or idolized.

   The cheesesteak has iconic status in Philly.

   She's worn some of the most iconic gowns ever to grace the red carpet.

3. Eastern Church.,  of or relating to a representation of some sacred personage or event, such as Christ or a saint or the Resurrection, painted usually on a wood surface and venerated for its subject.

4. Art.,  (of statues, portraits, etc.) executed according to a convention or tradition.

Other Word Forms

• iconically adverb
• iconicity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of iconic¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin īconicus, from Greek eikonikós, from eikon- (stem of eikṓn ) icon + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

The Crown Estate Commission gave her permission to tear it down and rebuild in the iconic red brick Georgian style that remains today.

From BBC

Redford occupies an iconic romantic permanence — part of that is his handsome aloofness, an appeal that never quite became approachable, even as his good looks were almost scarily perfect.

From Los Angeles Times

Discovery on Tuesday sued a Chinese artificial intelligence firm called MiniMax for copyright infringement, alleging its AI service generates iconic characters including Darth Vader, the Minions and Wonder Woman without the studios’ permission.

From Los Angeles Times

Sheen, who has previously said the Royal Family should give up the Prince of Wales title, said he would portray Glyndŵr as "the iconic Welsh prince".

From BBC

“Audrey Hepburn in Paris, coming into her own and becoming a young woman there, is so iconic I thought it would be so lovely if Belly could have that too,” says Han.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• archetypal 
• epochal 
• exemplary 

When To Use

What does iconic mean?

If something or someone is considered iconic, they're very influential, recognizable, and revered, e.g., Rembrandt is an iconic painter.