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.
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Examples of iconoclast in a Sentence
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
But the internal battle between traditionalist Republicans, like McCarthy, and far-right iconoclasts, like Gaetz, has been no contest: Gaetz beat Dimmock by 45 points.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024
The mother, Janet—played by the wonderful actor Julianne Nicholson—is an acupuncturist and iconoclast who lives in a cabin in the woods with her daughter, Lacy (Zoe Ziegler).
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2024
Who’s to say otherwise? Co-directed by the Canadian iconoclast with his collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson (the former of whom wrote the script), Rumours quickly introduces its international septet in broad, character-tic-heavy sketches.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Iconoclast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconoclast. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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