iconoclastic

American  

[ahy-kon-uh-klas-tik] / aɪˌkɒn əˈklæs tɪk /

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.

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of iconoclastic

First recorded in 1640–45; iconoclast + -ic

Explanation

The word iconoclastic is an adjective referring to a breaking of established rules or destruction of accepted beliefs. It might refer to an artist with an unorthodox style, or an iconoclastic attack, either physical or verbal, on a religious doctrine or image. Consider the Greek word eikōn, or "image," coupled with -klastēs, "one who breaks," and you get a good image of someone who is iconoclastic. An iconoclastic approach to religion involves tearing down the icons representing the church. While this was once done physically, through riots and mayhem, today’s iconoclasts usually prefer using words. Not all iconoclasts are destructive, however. An iconoclastic approach to art and music has given rise to the development of new genres and styles through breaking the rules.

Example Sentences

Influential iconoclastic thinker Richard Dawkins was then pilloried for suggesting that perhaps it already has.

From Slate • May 25, 2026

Yet, despite this occasional datedness, “Love and Death in the American Novel” remains wonderfully alive, being iconoclastic, polemical, exhilarating and, not least, fun to read.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Reality TV loves to generate iconoclastic figures like Paul, turning real people and their issues into characters and storylines.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Instead, he relied on showbiz hustle and savvy commercial instincts, teaming up with the musicians that became the iconoclastic hitmakers 10cc on records that positioned Sedaka squarely in the soft-rock mainstream.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

It was all part of the Adams pattern, an iconoclastic and contrarian temperament that relished alienation.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• irreverent