Definition
The action or attitude of attacking, rejecting, or destroying established icons, beliefs, or institutions, especially those considered sacred or beyond criticism. It can be literal (destroying religious images) or figurative (challenging orthodoxy).
Example Usage
Her iconoclasm toward traditional publishing led her to start an independent press that challenged industry norms.
Origin
From Greek eikon (image) and klastes (breaker), literally 'image-breaking,' originally referring to the destruction of religious icons.
Fun Fact
The term originated during the Iconoclastic Controversy in the Byzantine Empire (8th-9th centuries), when religious images were systematically destroyed.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
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