iconoclasm

English

Etymology

From iconoclast.

Noun

iconoclasm (countable and uncountable, plural iconoclasms)

1. The belief in, participation in, or sanction of destroying religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. [1797]

   Synonyms: iconomachy, idoloclasm

   Antonyms: iconodulism, iconoduly, iconoplasm

   Hypernym: desecration

   • 2024, Katherine Aron-Beller, Christian Images and Their Jewish Desecrators: The History of an Allegation, 400–1700‎^[1], Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, →ISBN, page 8:

     Finally, “iconoclasm” is a form of desecration and shares its general intention to deny the sacred qualities of an image and to demonstrate that it has no power, to prevent it from being treated as an idol or a rival to God.¹⁴ But not all forms of desecration constitute iconoclasm, though iconoclasm is always a form of desecration.

2. (figurative) A challenge to a widely held belief, tradition or cherished institution. [1858]

Related terms

• iconoclast
• iconoclastic
• iconoclastically
• iconoclasticism
• iconophobia

Translations

belief in, participation in, or sanction of destroying religious icons

• Armenian: պատկերամարտություն (hy) (patkeramartutʻyun)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 破壞偶像主義／破坏偶像主义 (pòhuàiǒuxiàngzhǔyì)

• Czech: ikonoklasmus (cs) m, obrazoborectví n
• Danish: billedstorm c (especially regarding the Dutch Reformation), ikonoklasme c
• Dutch: iconoclasme (nl), beeldenstorm (nl)
• Esperanto: ikonoklasmo
• Finnish: ikonoklasmi (fi)
• French: iconoclasme (fr) m
• Georgian: ხატმებრძოლეობა (xaṭmebrʒoleoba)
• German: Ikonoklasmus (de) m, Bildersturm (de) m, Bilderstürmerei f
• Hungarian: képrombolás (hu)
• Italian: iconoclastia (it)
• Japanese: 偶像破壊 (ぐうぞうはかい, guuzou-hakai)
• Polish: ikonoklazm (pl) m, obrazoburstwo n
• Portuguese: iconoclastia (pt) f
• Russian: иконоборчество (ru) (ikonoborčestvo), иконоклазм (ru) (ikonoklazm)
• Spanish: iconoclasia f, iconoclastia f
• Swedish: bildstorm (sv) c, ikonoklasm c
• Ukrainian: іконобо́рство n (ikonobórstvo), іконокла́зм m (ikonoklázm)
• Welsh: delwddrylliad m, eiconoclastiaeth f

by extension: attacking cherished beliefs

• Hungarian: polgárpukkasztás (hu)

See also

• aniconism

References

• “iconoclasm”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “iconoclasm”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French iconoclasme.

Noun

iconoclasm n (uncountable)

1. iconoclasm

Declension

declension of iconoclasm (singular only)

	singular
n gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) iconoclasm	iconoclasmul
genitive/dative	(unui) iconoclasm	iconoclasmului
vocative	iconoclasmule