iconoclast
UK /aɪˈkɒn.əˌklæst/ · US /aɪˈkɑn.əˌklæst/ noun
Forms iconoclasts
- noun (historical, Christianity) One who destroys religious images or icons, especially an opponent of the Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th centuries, or a Puritan during the European Reformation.
- noun One who opposes orthodoxy and religion; one who adheres to the doctrine of iconoclasm.
- noun (by extension) One who attacks cherished beliefs; a maverick.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from French iconoclaste and its etymon Medieval Latin īconoclastēs, from Byzantine Greek εἰκονοκλάστης (eikonoklástēs, literally “image breaker”). By surface analysis, icono- + -clast.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A breaker or destroyer of images or idols; a determined enemy of idol worship.
- noun One who exposes or destroys impositions or shams; one who attacks cherished beliefs; a radical.
Etymology [Gr. iconoclaste.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “iconoclast”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details