Iconoclasm

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /aɪˈkɒnəˌklæzəm/

Definitions

1. The action of challenging or rejecting established beliefs or icons is denoted by a specific term that also embodies the broader critique of societal or cultural norms
2. This concept signifies the act of dismantling revered traditions or values while emphasizing a transformative critique of established ideals
3. It refers to the practice of opposing and dismantling widely accepted beliefs, often through the destruction of religious images or symbols, conveying a profound critique of conventional thought

Etymology: Iconoclasm literally means "image-breaking." It comes from the Greek "eikonoklastes," built from "eikon," meaning image or likeness, and "klan," to break. The Byzantine Empire gave the idea its sharpest edge: in the eighth and ninth centuries, emperors who opposed the veneration of religious icons ordered them destroyed, and the conflict over sacred images became known as the Iconoclastic Controversy. The people who smashed images were the original iconoclasts. The word moved from that literal act of destruction to a figurative one. A person who attacks cherished images or statues could be called an iconoclast, and over time the sense widened to cover anyone who attacks established beliefs, traditions or authorities. Iconoclasm is the name for that general attitude, the habit of rejecting what a community holds sacred, whether the sacred thing is a painting or a doctrine.

Synonyms: image-breaking, destruction of icons, iconoclast movement, anti-iconism, heresy

Antonyms: iconophilia, veneration, admiration, reverence, adoration