iconic

iconic — adjective

1. describes someone or something so widely famous and admired that people everywhe

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes someone or something so widely famous and admired that people everywhere link it to a specific period, set of beliefs, or way of living.

Example

The Eiffel Tower is an iconic landmark that people around the world recognise immediately.

collocation: iconic landmark

Kwame's photographs captured iconic moments from the civil rights movement.

collocation: iconic moment

Common collocations
  • iconic landmark
  • iconic moment
  • iconic image
  • iconic figure
  • iconic building
  • iconic symbol
  • iconic fashion item
  • iconic status
  • iconic design
Synonyms
  • emblematic

    more formal than iconic; stresses the symbolic role more than the fame

  • legendary

    emphasises extraordinary fame but can lack the representative meaning

  • classic

    focuses on lasting quality and being a standard example, without necessarily being a symbol of a broader idea

  • renowned

    highlights widespread fame but does not carry the symbolic, representative quality

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + iconic

become + iconic + noun

one of the most iconic + noun + ever + past participle

Usage Note

Frequently used with nouns like landmark, symbol, image, moment, figure, or building. The thing described must be widely recognised by many people, not just personally significant to a single individual.

Common Mistakes

My grandmother's ring is iconic to me.
My grandmother's ring is very special to me.
Iconic requires widespread public recognition, not just personal sentimental value.

2. describes a sign, word, or symbol whose physical form directly resembles or sugg

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes a sign, word, or symbol whose physical form directly resembles or suggests its meaning — for instance, a picture of a knife and fork to represent a restaurant.

Example

Road signs often use iconic symbols whose shape matches the action they describe.

collocation: iconic symbol

The heart shape is an iconic sign for love that people understand across cultures.

Common collocations
  • iconic sign
  • iconic symbol
  • iconic representation
  • iconic relationship
Antonyms
  • arbitrary

    the standard opposite in semiotics; arbitrary signs have no inherent link between form and meaning

  • abstract

    a non-technical opposite; abstract symbols do not visually resemble their meaning

Grammar Patterns

iconic + sign / symbol / representation

Usage Note

Subject matter is limited to linguistics, semiotics, or sign systems. The opposite concept is arbitrary — most words in human language have no physical resemblance to what they name.

Word family

  • icon
    nounB2
  • iconically
    adverbC1
  • iconicity
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Iconic, emblematic, legendary, classic, and renowned all describe something notable, but they differ in emphasis. Emblematic stresses the symbolic role: an emblematic song represents a movement, whereas an iconic one is both famous and symbolic. Legendary emphasises extraordinary fame and larger-than-life status, but the thing may not stand for anything broader — a legendary athlete can be famous without being a symbol. Classic focuses on enduring quality and typicality: a classic film exemplifies its genre, but it may lack the widespread symbolic recognition of an iconic one. Renowned simply means widely famous, with no symbolic dimension at all. For instance, the Eiffel Tower is both iconic (it symbolises Paris and France) and renowned (everyone knows it), but only its iconic quality makes people see it as representing an entire era or culture.

emblematiclegendary ↗classic ↗renowned ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • truly iconic
  • deeply iconic
  • universally iconic

Phrases

  • considered iconic
  • regarded as iconic

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Iconic traces back to the Greek word eikōn, meaning 'image' or 'likeness'. It passed through Latin īcon and entered English as icon in the 16th century, originally referring to religious painted images in Eastern Orthodox churches. The adjective iconic followed in the 17th century, first used for anything relating to such images. Over time the meaning broadened: from 'looking like something' to 'being a symbol of something', and eventually to 'being the most famous and representative example of its kind' — the meaning most common today.