# iconoclast

> English word · Noun · IPA /aɪˈkɒn.əˌklæst/ · frequency rank #79,615

## Definitions
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.

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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/iconoclast