iconoclastic

[ahy-kon-uh-klas-tik]

adjective

1. attacking or ignoring cherished beliefs and long-held traditions, etc., as being based on error, superstition, or lack of creativity.

   an iconoclastic architect whose buildings are like monumental sculptures.

2. breaking or destroying images, especially those set up for religious veneration.

Other Word Forms

• iconoclastically adverb
• noniconoclastic adjective
• noniconoclastically adverb
• uniconoclastic adjective
• uniconoclastically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of iconoclastic¹

First recorded in 1640–45; iconoclast + -ic

Related Words

• irreverent