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
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
Even the possibility of Stern going away is a signal of how things have changed for the iconoclast.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Lauren LeBlanc writes at the LA Times, Juggling motherhood and creative work can leave one feeling like an iconoclast and a failure all at once.
—Diana Arterian
august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Just milk, chocolate syrup and seltzer, though iconoclasts argue that vanilla syrup is acceptable, too.
—Liza Weisstuch, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 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 30 Aug. 2025.
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