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The original meaning of iconic was essentially "resembling an icon," but today it often describes what is so admired that it could be the subject of an icon. And with that use, iconic has become part of the language of advertising and publicity: companies and magazines and TV hosts encourage us to think of some consumer item or pop star or show as first-rate or immortal or flawless—absolutely "iconic"—when that person or thing is actually simply widely known and—they assert—distinctively excellent.
Examples of iconic in a Sentence
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2024
Some of the most iconic mementos from Westeros are up for grabs.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024
Mark Wilson/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Blue crabs are perhaps the most iconic species in the Chesapeake Bay.
—Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 10 Sep. 2024
Parretti bought the iconic James Bond studio MGM/UA in 1990 for $1.3B with high hopes but within weeks, the 17th James Bond movie was put on ice, pay cheques to Dustin Hoffman and Sylvester Stallone had bounced, and hundreds of MGM/UA staff were fired.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for iconic 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iconic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Iconic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconic. Accessed 17 Sep. 2024.
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