Standard Lemma guide

icon

noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈaɪ.kɒn/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈaɪ.kən/
  • General-American: /ˈaɪ.kɑn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪkən
  • CMU ARPABET: AY1 K AA0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An image, symbol, picture, portrait, or other representation, usually as an object of religious devotion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: idol, graven image

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A type of religious painting portraying a saint or scene from Scripture, often done on wooden panels.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially

Topics: Christianity, Eastern-Christianity, lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person or thing that is the best example of a certain profession or some doing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Examples

  • That man is an icon in the business; he personifies loyalty and good business sense.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: archetype, byspel, case, case in point, embodiment, epitome, eponym, exemplar, exemplification, example, exemplificator, Exhibit A, illustration, incarnation, instance, paradigm, prototype, quintessence, representative, sample, specimen, symbol, ur-type, icon, model, paragon, pattern, template

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A small picture that represents something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, graphical-user-interface, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • Click the loudspeaker icon to configure audio settings.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A small picture that represents something.

An image used to represent a user; an avatar or profile picture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, informal

Topics: computing, engineering, graphical-user-interface, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • Is it okay if I use your drawing as my icon?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A word, character, or sign whose form reflects and is determined by the referent; onomatopoeic words are necessarily all icons.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences, semiotics

Examples

  • .

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Acronym of index currency option note, a type of financial instrument.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, acronym, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a conventional religious painting in oil on a small wooden panel; venerated in the Eastern Church

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ikon

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: painting, picture

9

noun

Meaning 9

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they showed us the pictures of their wedding
  • a movie is a series of images projected so rapidly that the eye integrates them

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: picture, image, ikon

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: representation

Narrower terms: bitmap, electronic image, chiaroscuro, collage, montage, foil, transparency, graphic, computer graphic, iconography, inset, likeness, semblance, panorama, cyclorama, diorama, reflection, reflexion, scan, CAT scan, sonogram, echogram

10

noun

Meaning 10

(computer science) a graphic symbol (usually a simple picture) that denotes a program or a command or a data file or a concept in a graphical user interface

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: symbol

History

Etymology

From Latin īcōn, from Ancient Greek εἰκών (eikṓn, “likeness, image, portrait”). Eastern Orthodox Church sense is attested from 1833. Computing sense first recorded in 1982.

Across languages

Translations

238 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قُونَة (qūna) — image
  • Arabic: أَيْقُونَة (ʔayqūna) — image
  • Armenian: պատկեր (patker) — image
  • Belarusian: во́браз (vóbraz) — image
  • Belarusian: абра́з (abráz) — image
  • Bulgarian: изображе́ние (izobražénie) — image
  • Catalan: icona — image
  • Cornish: ikon — image
  • Czech: ikona — image
  • Danish: ikon — image
  • Dutch: icoon — image
  • Esperanto: piktogramo — image
  • Finnish: ikoni — image
  • Finnish: symboli — image
  • French: icône — image
  • Galician: icona — image
  • German: Bild — image
  • Greek: εικόνα (eikóna) — image
  • Hungarian: ikon — image
  • Irish: íocón — image
  • Italian: icona — image
  • Latin: icon — image
  • Latin: icuncula — image
  • Maltese: ikona — image
  • Māori: ata — image
  • Māori: ata iti — image
  • Norman: icône — image
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ikon — image
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ikon — image
  • Persian: شمایل — image
  • Polish: ikona — image
  • Portuguese: ícone — image
  • Russian: изображе́ние (izobražénije) — image
  • Russian: о́браз (óbraz) — image
  • Scottish Gaelic: ìomhaigh — image
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝкона — image
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìkona — image
  • Slovak: ikona — image
  • Slovene: ikona — image
  • Spanish: icono — image
  • Spanish: ícono — image
  • Swedish: ikon — image
  • Swedish: bild — image
  • Ukrainian: зобра́ження (zobrážennja) — image
  • Ukrainian: о́браз (óbraz) — image
  • Vietnamese: biểu tượng — image
  • Welsh: eicon — image
  • Yup'ik: ikuunaq — image
  • Albanian: ikonë — religious painting
  • Southern Altai: кудай сӱри (kuday süri) — religious painting
  • Arabic: قُونَة (qūna) — religious painting
  • Arabic: أَيْقُونَة (ʔayqūna) — religious painting
  • Armenian: սրբապատկեր (srbapatker) — religious painting
  • Armenian: պատկեր (patker) — religious painting
  • Asturian: iconu — religious painting
  • Azerbaijani: ikona — religious painting
  • Bashkir: тәре (təre) — religious painting
  • Basque: ikono — religious painting
  • Belarusian: іко́на (ikóna) — religious painting
  • Belarusian: абра́з (abráz) — religious painting
  • Bulgarian: ико́на (ikóna) — religious painting
  • Catalan: icona — religious painting
  • Chinese Cantonese: 聖像 /圣像 — religious painting
  • Chinese Mandarin: 聖像 /圣像 (shèngxiàng) — religious painting
  • Crimean Tatar: köşedeturan — religious painting
  • Czech: ikona — religious painting
  • Danish: ikon — religious painting
  • Dutch: icoon — religious painting
  • Erzya: лик (lik) — religious painting
  • Esperanto: ikono — religious painting
  • Estonian: ikoon — religious painting
  • Finnish: ikoni — religious painting
  • French: icône — religious painting
  • Gagauz: yukona — religious painting
  • Galician: icona — religious painting
  • Georgian: ხატი (xaṭi) — religious painting
  • German: Ikone — religious painting
  • Greek: εικόνα (eikóna) — religious painting
  • Greek: εικόνισμα (eikónisma) — religious painting
  • Hebrew: אִיקוֹנִין (ikonín) — religious painting
  • Hungarian: ikon — religious painting
  • Indonesian: arca — religious painting
  • Indonesian: ikon — religious painting
  • Ingrian: pyhäin — religious painting
  • Irish: íocón — religious painting
  • Italian: icona — religious painting
  • Japanese: 聖像 (seizō) — religious painting
  • Japanese: イコン (ikon) — religious painting
  • Karelian: oprasa — religious painting
  • Kazakh: икон (ikon) — religious painting
  • Kazakh: икона (ikona) — religious painting
  • Khmer: រូបតំណាង (ruup tɑmnaang) — religious painting
  • Korean: 이콘 (ikon) — religious painting
  • Korean: 성상 (seongsang) — religious painting
  • Korean: 성화 (seonghwa) — religious painting
  • Northern Kurdish: îkon — religious painting
  • Kyrgyz: икона (ikona) — religious painting
  • Lao: ເທວະຮູບ (th hūp) — religious painting
  • Lao: ຮູບບູຊາ (hūp bū sā) — religious painting
  • Latin: icon — religious painting
  • Latvian: ikona — religious painting
  • Lithuanian: ikona — religious painting
  • Macedonian: икона (ikona) — religious painting
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ikon — religious painting
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ikon — religious painting
  • Ossetian: иконӕ (ikonæ) — religious painting
  • Pashto: نښه — religious painting
  • Iranian Persian: تِمْثال (temsâl) — religious painting
  • Iranian Persian: شِمایِل (šemâyel) — religious painting
  • Iranian Persian: شِمائِل (šemâ'el) — religious painting
  • Polish: ikona — religious painting
  • Portuguese: ícone — religious painting
  • Portuguese: ídolo — religious painting
  • Romanian: icoană — religious painting
  • Russian: ико́на (ikóna) — religious painting
  • Russian: о́браз (óbraz) — religious painting
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝкона — religious painting
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìkona — religious painting
  • Slovak: ikona — religious painting
  • Slovene: ikona — religious painting
  • Spanish: icono — religious painting
  • Spanish: ícono — religious painting
  • Swedish: ikon — religious painting
  • Tajik: икона (ikona) — religious painting
  • Tajik: тимсол (timsol) — religious painting
  • Tajik: шамоил (šamoyil) — religious painting
  • Thai: รูปเคารพ (rûup-kao-róp) — religious painting
  • Turkish: ikon — religious painting
  • Turkish: ikona — religious painting
  • Turkmen: ikona — religious painting
  • Ukrainian: іко́на (ikóna) — religious painting
  • Uyghur: ئىكونا (ikona) — religious painting
  • Uzbek: ikona — religious painting
  • Vietnamese: linh ảnh — religious painting
  • Vietnamese: ảnh thánh — religious painting
  • Welsh: eicon — religious painting
  • Yup'ik: ikuunaq — religious painting
  • Arabic: أَيْقُونَة (ʔayqūna) — exemplar
  • Belarusian: іко́на (ikóna) — exemplar
  • Belarusian: і́дал (ídal) — exemplar
  • Belarusian: кумі́р (kumír) — exemplar
  • Bulgarian: и́дол (ídol) — exemplar
  • Bulgarian: куми́р (kumír) — exemplar
  • Chinese Cantonese: 偶像 (ngau5 zoeng6) — exemplar
  • Chinese Mandarin: 偶像 (ǒuxiàng) — exemplar
  • Dutch: icoon — exemplar
  • Finnish: symboli — exemplar
  • Finnish: ikoni — exemplar
  • French: icône — exemplar
  • German: Symbol — exemplar
  • Greek: πρότυπο (prótypo) — exemplar
  • Greek: είδωλο (eídolo) — exemplar
  • Italian: icona — exemplar
  • Japanese: 偶像 (gūzō) — exemplar
  • Korean: 우상 (usang) — exemplar
  • Māori: hautupia — exemplar
  • Māori: hautupua — exemplar
  • Polish: ikona — exemplar
  • Polish: symbol — exemplar
  • Portuguese: ícone — exemplar
  • Russian: ико́на (ikóna) — exemplar
  • Russian: и́дол (ídol) — exemplar
  • Russian: куми́р (kumír) — exemplar
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝкона — exemplar
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìkona — exemplar
  • Spanish: icono — exemplar
  • Spanish: ícono — exemplar
  • Swedish: ikon — exemplar
  • Swedish: förebild — exemplar
  • Ukrainian: іко́на (ikóna) — exemplar
  • Ukrainian: і́дол (ídol) — exemplar
  • Ukrainian: куми́р (kumýr) — exemplar
  • Vietnamese: điển hình — exemplar
  • Welsh: eicon — exemplar
  • Amharic: አዶ (ʾädo) — small picture, computer icon
  • Arabic: أَيْقُونَة (ʔayqūna) — small picture, computer icon
  • Armenian: պատկերակ (patkerak) — small picture, computer icon
  • Bulgarian: ико́на (ikóna) — small picture, computer icon
  • Burmese: အိုင်ကွန် (uingkwan) — small picture, computer icon
  • Catalan: icona — small picture, computer icon
  • Chinese Cantonese: 圖標 /图标 (tou4 biu1) — small picture, computer icon
  • Chinese Mandarin: 圖標 /图标 (túbiāo) — small picture, computer icon
  • Chinese Mandarin: 圖示 /图示 (túshì) — small picture, computer icon
  • Czech: ikona — small picture, computer icon
  • Danish: ikon — small picture, computer icon
  • Dutch: icoon — small picture, computer icon
  • Dutch: pictogram — small picture, computer icon
  • Esperanto: piktogramo — small picture, computer icon
  • Esperanto: ikono — small picture, computer icon
  • Finnish: kuvake — small picture, computer icon
  • French: icône — small picture, computer icon
  • Galician: icona — small picture, computer icon
  • German: Icon — small picture, computer icon
  • Greek: εικονίδιο (eikonídio) — small picture, computer icon
  • Hungarian: ikon — small picture, computer icon
  • Indonesian: ikon — small picture, computer icon
  • Irish: íocón — small picture, computer icon
  • Italian: icona — small picture, computer icon
  • Japanese: アイコン (aikon) — small picture, computer icon
  • Kazakh: таңбаша (tañbaşa) — small picture, computer icon
  • Korean: 아이콘 (aikon) — small picture, computer icon
  • Maltese: ikona — small picture, computer icon
  • Māori: ata — small picture, computer icon
  • Marathi: आयकन (āykan) — small picture, computer icon
  • Norman: icône — small picture, computer icon
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ikon — small picture, computer icon
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ikon — small picture, computer icon
  • Persian: نماک — small picture, computer icon
  • Polish: ikona — small picture, computer icon
  • Polish: ikonka — small picture, computer icon
  • Portuguese: ícone — small picture, computer icon
  • Romanian: iconiță — small picture, computer icon
  • Russian: ико́нка (ikónka) — small picture, computer icon
  • Russian: пиктогра́мма (piktográmma) — small picture, computer icon
  • Russian: значо́к (značók) — small picture, computer icon
  • Russian: карти́нка (kartínka) — small picture, computer icon
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝкона — small picture, computer icon
  • Serbo-Croatian: иконица — small picture, computer icon
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìkona — small picture, computer icon
  • Serbo-Croatian: ikonica — small picture, computer icon
  • Slovak: ikona — small picture, computer icon
  • Slovak: symbol — small picture, computer icon
  • Spanish: icono — small picture, computer icon
  • Spanish: ícono — small picture, computer icon
  • Swedish: ikon — small picture, computer icon
  • Swedish: symbol — small picture, computer icon
  • Thai: ไอคอน — small picture, computer icon
  • Thai: สัญรูป — small picture, computer icon
  • Turkish: sembol — small picture, computer icon
  • Turkish: simge — small picture, computer icon
  • Ukrainian: іко́нка (ikónka) — small picture, computer icon
  • Ukrainian: значо́к (značók) — small picture, computer icon
  • Ukrainian: піктогра́ма (piktohráma) — small picture, computer icon
  • Ukrainian: карти́нка (kartýnka) — small picture, computer icon
  • Uyghur: سىنبەلگە (sinbelge) — small picture, computer icon
  • Uyghur: ئايكون (aykon) — small picture, computer icon
  • Vietnamese: biểu tượng — small picture, computer icon
  • Welsh: eicon — small picture, computer icon