Iconoclast
/ˌaɪ.kəˈnɒk.læst/noun
A person who attacks or rejects cherished beliefs, traditions, or institutions.
Did you know?The word began in Byzantine religious conflict, where iconoclasts were accused of violently breaking holy images during a crisis over whether sacred pictures could be venerated.
Etymological Timeline
Greek Antiquity
Greek
eikōn
“an image, likeness, or portrait”
Greek Antiquity
Greek
klastēs
“a breaker or one who breaks”
Byzantine Greek
Greek
eikonoklastēs
“an image-breaker, especially one who opposed religious icons”
Late Middle Ages
Latin
iconoclastes
“a breaker of images; a term used in theological controversy”
17th Century
English
iconoclast
“one who destroys religious images; later, a destroyer of established beliefs”
Modern English
English
iconoclast
“a person who attacks cherished ideas, traditions, or institutions”
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