English Meaning & Definitions
Widely known and acknowledged, especially as a symbol representing a particular quality, era, or culture.
- “The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world.”
- “Audrey Hepburn created an iconic look in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.”
Relating to or having the character of an icon or image.
- “The museum featured a collection of iconic paintings from the Byzantine era.”
- “The graphic designer used iconic representation rather than text to guide users.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “iconic”.
Derived from the Late Latin 'iconicus', from Greek 'eikonikos', meaning 'pertaining to an image', based on 'eikōn' (image, likeness). Originally used in art history to describe religious icons, the term expanded in the 20th century to designate anything that is widely recognized and represents a specific style, era, or cultural value.
Think of an 'icon' (like a desktop computer icon or a cultural celebrity)—something that represents a whole lot more than just its physical self is 'iconic'.
Frequently Asked Questions About “iconic”
1. What is the meaning of “iconic” in English?
In English, iconic (adjective) is defined as: “Widely known and acknowledged, especially as a symbol representing a particular quality, era, or culture.”.
2. How do you use “iconic” in a sentence?
“The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world.”
3. What are English synonyms of “iconic”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “iconic”?
Derived from the Late Latin 'iconicus', from Greek 'eikonikos', meaning 'pertaining to an image', based on 'eikōn' (image, likeness). Originally used in art history to describe religious icons, the term expanded in the 20th century to designate anything that is widely recognized and represents a specific style, era, or cultural value.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.