iconoclast

American  

[ahy-kon-uh-klast] / aɪˈkɒn əˌklæst /

noun

1. a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition.

   Synonyms:

   radical, dissenter, rebel, nonconformist

2. a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious veneration.

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iconoclast British  

/ aɪˈkɒnəˌklæst /

noun

1. a person who attacks established or traditional concepts, principles, laws, etc

2. 1. a destroyer of religious images or sacred objects

   2. 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

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Other Word Forms

• iconoclastic adjective
• iconoclastically adverb

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

Frank Dikötter is an iconoclast historian who immerses himself in the primary sources more thoroughly than any other Western scholar of 20th-century China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

The best international artist category belatedly reflects the rise of Latin music, with Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny and Spanish iconoclast Rosalía receiving the genre's first ever Brit nominations.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

There was a lengthy interview with the subject herself, replete with quotes meant to amplify her image as an iconoclast and a force to be reckoned with.

From Salon • Oct. 6, 2025

Founder Dave Gold was a SoCal business iconoclast on the level of In-N-Out founder Harry Snyder and cafeteria magnate Clifford Clifton, who made sure that the least among us could eat and shop like kings.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2024

But Wagner wasn't the only composer who was guilty of creating unnecessary clutter in the eyes of an iconoclast like Satie.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall