icon

American  

[ahy-kon] / ˈaɪ kɒn /

Also ikon,

noun

• icons
  plural

1. Digital Technology. a picture or symbol that appears on a screen and is used to represent a file, account, application, etc..

   Tap the icon to download the app.

   Click the flag icon at the top of the web page to toggle the language to English.

2. Eastern Church. a representation of some sacred personage or event, such as Christ or a saint or the Resurrection, painted usually on a wood surface and venerated for its subject.

3. a person or thing that epitomizes for many people a value, an era, a community, etc.

   Blue jeans remain an American cultural icon, despite the outsourcing of their manufacture to other countries.

4. a person or thing that is revered or idolized.

   Elvis Presley is a cultural icon of the 20th century.

5. Semiotics. a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a resemblance or analogy to it.

6. any picture, image, or other representation.

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icon British  

/ ˈaɪkɒn /

noun

1. Also: ikon. a representation of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint, esp one painted in oil on a wooden panel, depicted in a traditional Byzantine style and venerated in the Eastern Church

2. an image, picture, representation, etc

3. a person or thing regarded as a symbol of a belief, nation, community, or cultural movement

4. a person regarded as a sex symbol or as a symbol of the latest fashion trends

5. a pictorial representation of a facility available on a computer system, that enables the facility to be activated by means of a screen cursor rather than by a textual instruction

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icon Scientific  

/ ī′kŏn′ /

1. In a graphical user interface, a picture on the screen that represents a specific file, directory, window, or program. Clicking on an icon will start the associated program or open the associated file, directory, or window.

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icon Cultural  

1. An image used in worship in the Eastern Orthodox Church and among other Christians (see also Christian) of similar traditions. Icons depict Jesus, Mary, and the saints, usually in a severe, symbolic, nonrealistic way.

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Synonym Usage

See image.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• icons
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of icon

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin īcon, from Greek eikṓn “figure, image, likeness”

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Explanation

An icon is a symbol. It can be literal — like the little trashcan on your computer screen — or metaphorical — as in a singer so well known by ten-year-olds, he's called a pre-teen pop icon. Icon comes to us from the Greek word eikenai, meaning "to seem or to be like." In certain religions, statues of religious figures are referred to as icons — because they are prayed to as if they were the thing they represent. Icon can also describe a person closely linked to an idea. Mahatma Gandhi is revered as an icon of peace and humanity, while Adolf Hitler is reviled as an icon of violence and hatred.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

icon icons

R&B icon Stephanie Mills revealed she had an unresolved beef with “Mother Monster” Lady Gaga.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

For decades the firm formerly known as Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer used a logo combining a religious icon of the Archangel Michael and its name in elegant serif.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The “sparkle” icon was at the vanguard of this trend, a magical-looking diamond that suggested something incredible was behind the door if you just clicked that button.

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

Almost two decades later, she is now a multi-million-pound brand owner, with high-profile clients including tennis icon Serena Williams, model Naomi Campbell and actress Niecey Nash.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

As far as I’m concerned, if Andy Warhol was like me, then one day I’d be a cultural icon too.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

But Baumbick and his team believe that plan, which mirrors Ford’s revised American strategy, could put the maker of icons like the Cortina and Escort back on top.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

The two characters - long-standing icons of the games - are martial artists who trained under the same teacher before their relationship went sour.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The review covered hundreds of species on the IUCN's "red list" -- icons like staghorn and table corals whose mineral skeletons give reefs their dazzling three-dimensional complexity.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

For instance, the system uses recognizable sounds, known as auditory icons, to tell caregivers what the problem is, so they can distinguish it immediately.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Religions bring the sacred into our lives with Gothic churches, Muslim mosques, Hindu ashrams, Torah scrolls, Tibetan prayer wheels, priestly cassocks, candles, incense, Christmas trees, matzah balls, tombstones and icons.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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Related Words

• apotheosis
• avatar
• embodiment
• epitome
• incarnation
• manifestation
• personification
• quintessence
• representation
• symbol

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