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Word of the Day With Meaning:  Expand your vocabulary with our Word of the Day series. In this series, we introduce a new word each day and explore its meaning, origin, and usage in the English language. You can also look up synonyms and their daily use in sentences to strengthen your vocabulary.

An 'iconoclast is a noun that describes a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition. Let's take a deeper look at what this term means.

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Origin of Iconoclast:

Iconoclast comes from the Middle Greek word eikonoklástēs, which translates literally as “image destroyer.” While the destruction wrought by today’s iconoclasts is figurative—in modern use, an iconoclast is someone who criticizes or opposes beliefs and practices that are widely accepted.

Synonyms & Antonyms for 'Iconoclast':

An Iconoclast attacks cherished beliefs or traditions; synonyms include rebel, dissenter, radical, heretic, nonconformist, or maverick, while antonyms focus on adherence, such as conformist, supporter, follower, or adherent, reflecting someone who upholds established norms.


Synonyms: Challenger/Attacker: Critic, dissenter, rebel, heretic, radical, dissident, questioner, attacker, assailant, image breaker, ruiner, uprooter.

Non-Conformer: Maverick, nonconformist, individualist, eccentric, bohemian, freethinker, outsider, deviant, loner, free spirit.

Related Terms: Cynic, skeptic, unbeliever, nonbeliever, renegade, revolutionary.

Antonyms: Adherents: Conformist, adherent, supporter, follower, assenter, conformer, sheep.

Traditionalists: (Implied by the opposite nature of the term, but not directly listed as single-word antonyms in results, though "conformist" covers this well).

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Daily Use Examples of 'Iconoclast':

Here are some sentences made by using the word iconoclast according to different contexts:

In Conversation: "She's an iconoclast in her family, always questioning traditions that others take for granted, like the rule about opening presents one at a time on Christmas morning".

In Business & Technology: An entrepreneur is described as an iconoclast for disrupting a traditional industry with a new business model, such as developing the first purely cloud-based accounting platform.

In Arts & Culture: A film director is referred to as an iconoclast for refusing to follow conventional storytelling rules and creating entirely new narrative forms.

In the Workplace: A new manager acts as an iconoclast by challenging the long-standing, inefficient corporate hierarchy and pushing for a more collaborative workplace culture.

In Academia: The iconoclastic ideas about history reshaped the way students understood the subject, challenging decades-old academic traditions.

'Iconoclast' Meaning In Hindi, Bengali & Tamil  Languages:

In Hindi, "Iconoclast" primarily means मूर्तिभंजक (Mūrtibhañjak), meaning an idol or image-breaker. Contextually, it is understood as रूढ़िविरोधी (Rūḍhivirōdhī), referring to a person who challenges established beliefs, customs, and traditional institutions aggressively.

In Bengali, the term for an iconoclast is often প্রথা-বিরোধী (Prothā-birōdhī). This describes someone who opposes or critiques accepted traditions and social conventions. The literal, historical meaning is conveyed by প্রতিমা-ভঙ্গকারী (Protimā-bhaṅgakārī).

In Tamil, the most relevant and common translation is மரபுகளை உடைப்பவர் (Marabugaḷai uḍaippavar). This signifies a person who deliberately breaks or rejects orthodox customs and traditional ways of thinking, serving as a social or cultural challenger. 

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You can use it in essays, reports, articles, or professional emails to sound precise and smart.

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