Make Your Point: ICONIC

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pronounce ICONIC:

eye CON ick

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

You might say, "Pumpkin spice is an iconic autumn flavor."

Or, if you like longer words: "Pumpkin spice is the qui___ess__tial autumn flavor."

Can you recall that word? Like iconic, it can mean "the most perfect example of its kind."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

The word "icon" traces back through Latin to a Greek one meaning "image, likeness, or portrait."

In English, too, an icon was originally a portrait or a statue.

By 1833, the word had taken on a very specific meaning: an icon is a religious painting that people imbue with religious importance. That is, an icon not only shows some holy person or thing, but it also has some holy significance itself. Below is an example; you can see more of them on Wikipedia.

The meaning of "icon" kept expanding, and by 1914 we were using it to mean "a sign, an image, or a representation of something;" and by 1952, "a respected, admired, and well-known person, thing, or symbol in our culture;" and by 1982, "a little symbol or picture on a screen that you can select."

So, if you refer to something as iconic, you might mean "having to do with an artistic or religious figure or representation," or maybe "having to do with those cute little symbols on our devices."

But most of the time, when you call someone or something iconic, you mean that it (or its appearance) is either excellent at representing or symbolizing something, or respected and well-known in our culture.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "an iconic status;" "an iconic album cover;" "Ramen, the iconic Japanese noodle soup (The New Yorker)."

Other forms:

Icon(s), iconically, iconicity (the state of being an icon).

Someone who attacks or destroys icons, or iconic beliefs or traditions, is an iconoclast.

how to use it:

The word "iconic" is common, formal, and very positive.

It helps you emphasize how certain things, people, and places are very famous and recognizable. For example, you might talk about an iconic song, logo, product, advertisement, landmark, fictional character, work of art, or article of clothing ("Abe Lincoln's iconic stovepipe hat," "Elton John's iconic oversized glasses," "Marilyn Monroe's iconic white dress").

Iconic things are most often visual; you recognize them with your eyes. But you can also recognize them with your other senses: "Bennie and the Jets, an iconic song;" "Chanel No 5, an iconic scent;" "cashmere, an iconic texture;" "green curry, an iconic flavor."

examples:

"[Susan B. Anthony’s] bright-red shawl—the only flash of color in her otherwise dark and drab wardrobe—became iconic."
— Winifred Conkling, Votes for Women!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot, 2018

"James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin solve the three-dimensional structure of DNA, producing the iconic image of the double helix."
— Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Gene: An Intimate History, 2016

has this page helped you understand "iconic"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "iconic" without saying "well-known" or "emblematic."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Something) is (some place's, or the entire world's) most iconic (type of thing)."

Example 1: "The Eiffel Tower is Europe's most iconic landmark. According to American movies, it's visible from literally any place in France."

Example 2: "The world's most iconic dinosaur is undergoing an identity crisis. In February, a team of scientists posited that Tyrannosaurus rex was actually three distinct species."
— Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 25 July 2022

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "The Words are Hard, the Titles are Silly, and the Points Don't Matter!"

In each issue, try matching a given term to a silly title. For example, match the term “desultory” to the video game title “If It Moves, Shoot It!” because desultory methods are random, disorganized, and unmethodical.

If you need a definition for a term, give it a click. Scroll all the way down to see my suggested matches. Give yourself a point for each match you make that matches my match! And give yourself two points for any match that mismatches mine, as long as you can make up some reason for your match, no matter how half-baked.

Try these today:

Terms:
A. decamp
B. plethora
C. ribald

Titles of news articles:
1. BMW stopped with "enough cigarettes to cater entire 1980s darts tournament"
2. Council removes plaque for man who liked to shout "**** off" at seagulls
3. Robot vacuum cleaner escapes from Cambridge Travelodger

review this word:

1. The opposite of ICONIC is

A. SOLID.
B. OBSCURE.
C. LINGUISTIC.

2. In Julie Murphy's novel Dumplin', the narrator describes "Jolene" as an "iconic song," one that's _____.

A. twangy and "cartoonish"
B. basically background noise, with "a hyper-techno beat"
C. universally loved and "bigger than geography or languages or religion"

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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