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
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Their prolific, chameleonic hit rate will invite inevitable comparisons to iconoclasts like Sophie, Aphex Twin, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, but — like the greats before them — gyrofield may soon be a genre unto themselves.
—Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025
Ever the iconoclast, Cindy Sherman carried a fur bag and wore rubber boats with her dark suit.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025
Zoom in: While some CEOs pride themselves on being collegial consensus-builders, many more like to think of themselves as daring iconoclasts, leading from the front into uncharted opportunity.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 16 Jan. 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 23 Mar. 2025.
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