icon

icon — noun

1. a small picture on a computer, phone, or tablet screen that you click or touch t

1.nounA2
Definition

a small picture on a computer, phone, or tablet screen that you click or touch to open a program, start an action, or see a file.

Example

Isabela tapped the camera icon on her phone to take a selfie.

icon + tap/click — physical action on a touchscreen

Drag the folder icon into the trash to delete your old documents.

Common collocations
  • tap an icon
  • click an icon
  • desktop icon
  • app icon
  • folder icon
  • settings icon
Synonyms
  • symbol

    more general — can refer to any token that stands for something, not limited to screens

  • button

    overlaps in UI contexts, but 'button' emphasises the clickable action; 'icon' emphasises the visual representation

Grammar Patterns

the/your + noun + icon

icon + for/of + noun

Usage Note

Common verbs paired with icon: click (on), tap, double‑click, drag, select. The icon is usually described by its function (email icon, settings icon, search icon) or its visual label (trash icon, magnifying‑glass icon).

Common Mistakes

I pressed the icon with my finger on the screen.
I tapped the icon on the screen.
'tap' is the standard collocation for touchscreens; 'press' is used for physical buttons.

2. someone or something so widely famous that they come to represent a complete set

2.nounB2
Definition

someone or something so widely famous that they come to represent a complete set of values, a historical era, or a cultural movement — for example, a singer who embodies teenage rebellion, or a landmark that defines an entire city.

Example

The Sydney Opera House is an icon of modern architecture worldwide.

an icon of — pattern for expressing what the person/thing represents

Rosa Parks became an icon of civil rights by refusing to give up her seat.

an icon of + abstract quality (civil rights) — genuine public figure with widespread recognition

Common collocations
  • cultural icon
  • fashion icon
  • global icon
  • sporting icon
  • enduring icon
  • pop icon
Synonyms
  • symbol

    more neutral — does not carry the same weight of widespread fame and admiration

  • legend

    stronger — implies lasting fame over a long period, often after the person's active years

  • figurehead

    more formal — a leader who represents a movement but may not have active power

Antonyms
  • nobody

    an unknown or unimportant person

Grammar Patterns

(cultural/fashion/global) icon

an icon of + noun (belief/era/community)

Usage Note

This sense carries a strong positive connotation of admiration at scale — the person or thing must be widely recognised, not just personally important. For a personally meaningful figure, use 'role model' or 'hero'. Subject can be a person, place, brand, or object.

Common Mistakes

My mother is my icon.
My mother is my role model.
'icon' implies broad public recognition; for a private/personal figure, use 'role model' or 'inspiration'.

3. a sacred portrait — usually painted on a wooden board or made as a mosaic — that

3.nounC1
Definition

a sacred portrait — usually painted on a wooden board or made as a mosaic — that shows a holy individual such as Christ, the mother of Jesus, or a saint, and is given special honour during prayer in Orthodox Christianity.

Example

A golden icon of Archangel Michael hung above the doorway of the small Greek church.

icon of + holy figure — typical form

Hassan learned how Byzantine monks painted icons using egg tempera on wooden panels.

Common collocations
  • painted icon
  • wooden icon
  • gold icon
  • venerate an icon
  • iconostasis
  • icon of Christ
  • icon of the saints
Synonyms
  • religious painting

    more general — does not imply the specific Eastern Christian tradition of veneration

  • image

    broader — can mean any visual representation; lacks the ritual context

  • portrait

    focuses on likeness of a person, not on spiritual function

Grammar Patterns

icon of + holy person

painted/wooden/gold icon

Usage Note

In Eastern Christian practice, icons are venerated (honoured with gestures such as bowing or kissing) but not worshipped. The term is not typically used for Western religious paintings — those are called 'religious paintings' or 'altarpieces'. Distinguish from sense 4 (SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION), where no religious context is implied.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'There was an icon of Jesus on the wall of the Catholic church in Rome.' — works in casual speech for any religious image, but careful usage reserves 'icon' for the Eastern Christian tradition of panel paintings intended for veneration, not decorative Western wall paintings.

4. a visual mark, design, or object that stands for a particular quality, organisat

4.nounB2
Definition

a visual mark, design, or object that stands for a particular quality, organisation, brand, or idea — such as a heart shape meaning love or a company logo representing its products.

Example

The Statue of Liberty is an icon of freedom and hope for immigrants arriving in New York.

an icon of + abstract quality — the core grammatical pattern

Tamar designed a new icon for the charity that shows two hands forming a heart.

Common collocations
  • national icon
  • corporate icon
  • design an icon
  • icon of freedom
  • icon of peace
  • use as an icon
Synonyms
  • emblem

    more formal; often implies official or heraldic use (national emblem)

  • logo

    specifically a graphic mark of a company or brand

  • symbol

    the most general term — any sign that stands for something else

Grammar Patterns

an icon of + abstract quality (freedom/peace/justice)

become an icon for + group/organisation

Usage Note

This sense is broader than sense 2 (FAMOUS REPRESENTATIVE): it covers any symbol, not only famous ones. Anything can be 'an icon of X' — a dove as an icon of peace, a colour as an icon of a political party. Frequently used in branding and graphic design contexts.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'The heart icon means love.' — acceptable, but 'the heart symbol' or 'the heart shape' is more natural for non‑screen contexts. Reserve 'icon' for deliberate logos, emblems, or UI elements.

icon — combining form

Word family

  • iconic
    adjectiveB2
  • iconography
    nounC1
  • iconoclast
    nounC1
  • iconically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe someone or something that stands for something larger. An icon is a person or thing so widely known that they represent an entire idea, era, or culture — e.g., 'Marilyn Monroe is a pop icon'. A symbol is a broader, more neutral term: anything can be a symbol of something (a dove symbolises peace), with no requirement of fame. A legend carries a stronger sense of lasting, almost mythic fame, usually after a long career or after death — 'Jimi Hendrix is a guitar legend'. A figurehead is more formal and often political: a leader whose role is mostly symbolic rather than executive. An idol overlaps with icon in the 'admired person' meaning but often suggests uncritical devotion, as in 'teen idol' or 'idol worship'. In everyday use, icon works best when the person or thing is both famous and representative; idol is better when the focus is on personal admiration.

symbol ↗legend ↗figureheadidol ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • icon status
  • icon design

Adverbs

  • widely considered an icon
  • instantly recognisable as an icon

Phrases

  • become an icon
  • remain an icon
  • regard as an icon

Prepositions

  • icon of
  • icon for
  • icon in

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word icon entered English in the 16th century from Latin, which borrowed it from Greek eikōn (εἰκών), meaning 'likeness, image, portrait'. In ancient Greece an eikōn was any visual likeness, but the word took on a specifically religious meaning in Eastern Christianity, where icons became central to worship. The modern computing sense (1960s–70s) developed from the general idea of a small pictorial representation.