Iconic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /aɪˈkɒnɪk/

Definitions

1. Being emblematic of something important and easily recognized, a representation that holds significant cultural or social value can be described using this term
2. This term refers to something that represents a particular idea, quality, or class and is widely acknowledged as distinguished or exemplary
3. Serving as a widely recognized symbol that embodies particular qualities or an ideal

Etymology: The Greek "eikon" meant "image" or "likeness," and the adjective "eikonikos" simply meant "pertaining to images or portraits." It passed into Late Latin as "iconicus" with that same plain sense, and from there into English as a technical word for things relating to images, especially religious pictures. For centuries it stayed in that narrow territory, describing sacred portraiture rather than anything a crowd would recognize. The modern sense, something so instantly recognizable that it stands for a whole era, idea or brand, came much later and is a shift from the literal image to the familiar image. An icon in this sense is a picture so widely known that seeing it needs no explanation, which is why the adjective now is applied to film, fashion and design. The English word "icon" itself is the older noun form, and "iconic" carries the same idea of representation, now stretched from paintings to everyday culture.

Synonyms: symbolic, representative, remarkable

Antonyms: unremarkable, ordinary