Dictionary

iconic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /aɪˈkɑnɪk/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
• /aɪˈkɒnɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [aɪˈkɔ̟nɪk] (New-Zealand)
• /aɪˈkɔnɪk/ (Australia)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /aɪˈkɒnɪk/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /aɪˈkɒnɪk/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Late Latin īconicus, from Ancient Greek εἰκονικός (eikonikós). By surface analysis, icon + -ic.

Meanings

1. Relating to, or having the characteristics of, an icon.
2. Distinctive, characteristic, indicative of identity.
   • an iconic move in martial arts
   • And although we’ve certainly seen a variety of blue shades — from periwinkle to cobalt and even Dean Cain’s indigo-washed costume from the 1990’s TV show “Lois & Clark” — Superman’s uniform is still instantly recognizable across generations. In fact, there is only one film — Zack Snyder’s 2013 “Man of Steel” — in which Superman does not wear his iconic red belted trunks. 2025 February 21, Leah Dolan, “How the Superman ‘S’ became fashion’s favorite logo”, in CNN:
3. (figuratively) Famously and distinctively representative of its type.
   • "We did look at building a new bridge, but this is an iconic structure," says Network Rail Project Manager Michael Bryan. 2020 August 12, Andrew Mourant, “The tide is turning for a Victorian wonder”, in Rail, page 50:
   • She angrily turned, giving me my favorite view, that iconic view of a woman from the rear. 1986, John Updike, Roger's Version, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 306:
   • In time The Simpsons would, indeed, resort to spoofing such decidedly non-spooktacular fare like E.T and Mr. And Mrs. Smith (both in “Treehouse Of Horror XVIII”) but in 1992 the field was wide-open and the show could cherry-pick the most iconic and beloved fright fare of all time. 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 15 Aug 2012:
   • For younger musicians, Coltrane’s death became one of those iconic events that stays vividly in the mind. 1983, J. K. Chambers, Milestones, New York: Beech Tree Books, →ISBN, page 111:
4. Representing something; symbolic.
   • an iconic gesture in sign language
   • A portrait of a person is to a considerable extent iconic, but is not completely so since the painted canvas does not have the texture of the skin, or the capacities for speech and motion, […] 1955 [1946], Charles William Morris, Signs, Language, and Behavior, G. Braziller, →ISBN, page 23:

Forms

Antonyms

batonic · aniconic

Deriveds

iconicize · uniconic · iconicness · signiconic · homoiconic · iconically · noniconic

Synonyms

emblematic · famous · signature

Translations (38)

pl ikoniczny (relating to icon) · cs ikonický (relating to icon) · nl kenmerkend (relating to icon) · de ikonisch (relating to icon) · cmn 代表性的 (representative of its type) · fur iconic (relating to icon) · nl iconisch (relating to icon) · de bildhaft (representative of its type) · nl iconisch (representative of its type) · pt icónico (relating to icon) · pt icônico (relating to icon) · nn ikonisk (relating to icon) · ar أَيْقُونِيّ (relating to icon) · de zeichenhaft (relating to icon) · ca icònic (representative of its type) · ga íocónach (relating to icon) · it iconico (relating to icon) · id ikonik (relating to icon) · fr emblématique (representative of its type) · de ikonenhaft (relating to icon) · pt emblemático (representative of its type) · fi ikoninen (representative of its type) · nb ikonisk (relating to icon) · kw ikonek (relating to icon) · fi ikoninen (relating to icon) · de ikonisch (representative of its type) · ca icònic (relating to icon) · nl voorbeeldig (relating to icon) · fi ikoni- (relating to icon) · pl ikoniczny (representative of its type) · pl ikonowy (relating to icon) · de symbolhaft (representative of its type) · fr iconique (relating to icon) · fi kuvamainen (representative of its type) · id ikonis (relating to icon) · ar أَيْقُونِيّ (representative of its type) · de bemerkenswert (representative of its type) · pl ikonowy (representative of its type)