English Explanatory Dictionary

iconoclast

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. One who destroys religious images or icons, especially an opponent of the Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th centuries, or a Puritan during the European Reformation.
  2. One who opposes orthodoxy and religion; one who adheres to the doctrine of iconoclasm.
  3. One who attacks cherished beliefs; a maverick.

Pronunciation

/aɪˈkɒn.əˌklæst/ /aɪˈkɑn.əˌklæst/ en-us-iconoclast.ogg en-au-iconoclast.ogg

Word forms

iconoclast iconoclasts

Etymology

Borrowed from French iconoclaste and its etymon Medieval Latin īconoclastēs, from Byzantine Greek εἰκονοκλάστης (eikonoklástēs, literally “image breaker”). By surface analysis, icono- + -clast.

Synonyms

heretic nonconformist rebel

Antonyms

iconodule iconophile traditionalist conformist devotee

Related words

clast clastic icon iconoclasm iconoclastic antidogmatism contrarian dissenter freethinker heresiarch heretic nonconformist radical rebel renegade schismatic
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