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Iconic vs Figurative - What's the difference?

iconic | figurative |

As adjectives the difference between iconic and figurative

is that iconic is relating to, or having the characteristics of, an icon while figurative is metaphorical or tropical, as opposed to literal; using figures; as of the use of "cats and dogs" in the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs".

iconic

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Relating to, or having the characteristics of, an icon.
  • Famously and distinctively representative of its type.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=April 29 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992) citation , page= , passage=In time The Simpsons would, indeed, resort to spoofing such decidedly non-spooktacular fare like E.T and Mr. And Mrs. Smith (both in “Treehouse Of Horror XVIII”) but in 1992 the field was wide-open and the show could cherry-pick the most iconic and beloved fright fare of all time.}}
  • (linguistics) Representing something; symbolic.
  • an iconic gesture in sign language

    Antonyms

    * (relating to an icon) aniconic * (linguistics) batonic

    figurative

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Metaphorical or tropical, as opposed to literal; using figures; as of the use of "cats and dogs" in the phrase "It's raining cats and dogs".
  • * '>citation
  • Metaphorically so called
  • With many figures of speech
  • Emblematic; representative
  • * Hooker
  • This, they will say, was figurative , and served, by God's appointment, but for a time, to shadow out the true glory of a more divine sanctity.
  • * J. A. Symonds
  • They belonged to a nation dedicated to the figurative arts, and they wrote for a public familiar with painted form.

    Usage notes

    * Said of language, expression, etc.

    Antonyms

    * literal

    Derived terms

    * figurativeness * figuratively