iconoclast
noun
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For the Meaning of Iconoclast, Break It Down
Iconoclast comes from the Greek word eikonoklastēs, which translates literally as “image destroyer.” While the destruction wrought by today’s iconoclasts is figurative—in modern use, an iconoclast is someone who criticizes or opposes beliefs and practices that are widely accepted—the first iconoclasts directed their ire at religious icons, those representations of sacred individuals used as objects of veneration. The Byzantine Empire’s Iconoclastic Controversy occurred in the 8th and 9th centuries, but the word iconoclast didn’t find its way to English until the 17th century. Figurative use came later still.
Examples of iconoclast in a Sentence
Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
Even as Republicans embrace him as an iconoclast, Democrats and other critics have lambasted Kennedy as a know-nothing without the scientific or bureaucratic experience to do the job effectively.
—Vox Staff, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
Ben Tzion believes Trump, now flanked by tech billionaires like Elon Musk, has subscribed to the mindset of a Silicon Valley iconoclast.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Sir Raymond Douglas Davies CBE was a remarkable iconoclast.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for iconoclast
Cite this Entry
“Iconoclast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconoclast. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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