Iconoclastic
/ˌaɪ.kə.nəˈklæs.tɪk/noun
Relating to or characterized by attacking or rejecting established beliefs, customs, or institutions.
Did you know?It comes from Byzantine Greek debates over icons, where iconoclasts were literally accused of smashing sacred images during a centuries-long fight over holy power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
εἰκών (eikṓn)
“image, likeness, portrait”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κλάω (kláō)
“to break, smash”
Byzantine Greek
Greek
εἰκονοκλάστης (eikonoklástēs)
“image-breaker, destroyer of religious images”
Late 18th Century
English
iconoclast
“a person who attacks sacred images; later, a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions”
19th Century
English
iconoclastic
“relating to or characteristic of an iconoclast”
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