What does iconoclasm mean?
Iconoclasm refers both to the historical opposition to the veneration and use of religious images and, more commonly today, to the forceful rejection of established beliefs, institutions, or artistic traditions. The word is often used to describe someone or something that challenges conventions regarded as sacred, authoritative, or culturally important. Its figurative use can be neutral, as when discussing religious reform, but it frequently carries a critical implication of deliberate provocation or disregard for inherited values. Because it derives from the Greek tradition of the Byzantine Iconoclast controversy, iconoclasm has a strongly historical resonance, especially in discussions of religion and art. In contemporary cultural criticism, however, it is also applied to innovative art, radical political movements, and reforms that undermine traditional authority. The term is more precise than simply calling something unconventional, since it suggests active resistance to an established order.
nounThe doctrine or practice of attacking or destroying religious images, or, figuratively, the act of rejecting or overturning established beliefs or traditions.
- Figurative opposition to or deliberate rejection of established beliefs, traditions, or cultural conventions.
- Historical opposition to the veneration or use of religious images, including their destruction or avoidance.
"The architect's bold designs became a symbol of cultural iconoclasm, challenging the conventions of the city."
"Critics dismissed the novel's iconoclasm as an attack on traditional family values."
"The iconoclasm of the Protestant Reformation helped transform religious art in parts of Europe."
The plural is used for multiple acts, doctrines, policies, or examples of iconoclasm.
"The museum hosted a symposium exploring the political iconoclasms of the twentieth century."
When Byzantine rulers banned religious images, iconoclasm turned a theological dispute into a culture war.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does iconoclasm come from?
Iconoclasm comes through Late Latin from Greek eikōn, meaning “image,” and klastēs, meaning “breaker” or “one who breaks.” The related English word iconoclast originally referred to someone who broke or attacked religious images, especially in the Byzantine controversies of the eighth and ninth centuries. The noun iconoclasm entered English in the early 17th century and later acquired its broader figurative sense of opposition to established beliefs or traditions.
Related word forms
How iconoclasm is actually used
The word is formal and often carries a critical or evaluative tone. In figurative use, it suggests more than ordinary disagreement, emphasizing the challenge to deeply established or widely respected ideas.
Easily confused with iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the practice or doctrine of attacking images or established traditions, whereas an iconoclast is a person who does so.