iconoclast
[ ahy-kon-uh-klast ]
/ aɪˈkɒn əˌklæst /
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noun
a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition.
a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious veneration.
SYNONYMS FOR iconoclast
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First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Origin of iconoclast
1590–1600; <Medieval Latin īconoclastēs<Medieval Greek eikonoklástēs, equivalent to Greek eikono-icono- + -klastēs breaker, equivalent to klas- (variant stem of klân to break) + -tēs agent noun suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM iconoclast
i·con·o·clas·tic, adjectiveWords nearby iconoclast
iconic, iconic memory, Iconium, icono-, iconoclasm, iconoclast, iconoclastic, iconographic, iconography, iconolatry, iconology
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for iconoclast
British Dictionary definitions for iconoclast
iconoclast
/ (aɪˈkɒnəˌklæst) /
noun
a person who attacks established or traditional concepts, principles, laws, etc
- a destroyer of religious images or sacred objects
- an adherent of the heretical movement within the Greek Orthodox Church from 725 to 842 ad, which aimed at the destruction of icons and religious images
Derived forms of iconoclast
iconoclastic, adjectiveiconoclastically, adverbWord Origin for iconoclast
C16: from Late Latin iconoclastes, from Late Greek eikonoklastes, from eikōn icon + klastēs breaker
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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