What does "icon" mean?
An image, symbol, picture, portrait, or other representation, usually as an object of religious devotion.
Icon
/ˈaɪ.kɑn/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An image, symbol, picture, portrait, or other representation, usually as an object of religious devotion.
- Grammar: icon is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: image, abstract, abstraction, agnus dei.
- Useful contrasts: nobody, ordinary person, profane image.
- Usage evidence: You have added a comment, not a translation. To add a translation, click on the "あ→а" icon above the sentence.
How to use "icon"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "icon" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "icon" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "icon" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "icon" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "icon" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "image" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "icon", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An image, symbol, picture, portrait, or other representation, usually as an object of religious devotion.
- 2 Acronym of index currency option note, a type of financial instrument. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 a conventional religious painting in oil on a small wooden panel; venerated in the Eastern Church wordnet
- 4 A type of religious painting portraying a saint or scene from Scripture, often done on wooden panels. especially
"Last week the Archdiocese sent emmissaries to investigate the icon and decided that the tears were not a hoax, Father Koufos said."
- 5 a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A person or thing that is the best example of a certain profession or some doing. broadly
"That man is an icon in the business; he personifies loyalty and good business sense."
- 7 (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 wordnet
- 8 A small picture that represents something.
"Click the loudspeaker icon to configure audio settings."
- 9 A small picture that represents something.; An image used to represent a user; an avatar or profile picture. Internet, informal
"Is it okay if I use your drawing as my icon?"
- 10 A word, character, or sign whose form reflects and is determined by the referent; onomatopoeic words are necessarily all icons.
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Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"You have added a comment, not a translation. To add a translation, click on the "あ→а" icon above the sentence."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "icon"?
Common synonyms include: image, abstract, abstraction, agnus dei, altarpiece, aphrodite.
How do you use "icon" in a sentence?
You have added a comment, not a translation. To add a translation, click on the "あ→а" icon above the sentence.
How do you pronounce "icon"?
Pronounced /ˈaɪ.kɑn/.
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.