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GRE vocabulary

iconoclast

nounHigh-frequency wordMore I words

a person who attacks cherished beliefs or established institutions

Word origin: From Greek eikon, image, plus klan, to break.

In a sentence

Iconoclast in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing iconoclast in a sentence.

As an iconoclast, she delighted in challenging the assumptions her colleagues held sacred.

An iconoclast by temperament, she built her career on overturning the assumptions her field held sacred.

Synonyms
dissenterrebelnonconformistmaverick
Antonyms
conformisttraditionalist
Usage & nuance

Using “iconoclast” well

An iconoclast attacks cherished beliefs or established institutions. The literal sense, a destroyer of religious images, underlies the figurative one of a challenger of revered ideas.

Common questions

Questions about “iconoclast

Iconoclast (noun) means a person who attacks cherished beliefs or established institutions
Here is iconoclast used in an example sentence: "As an iconoclast, she delighted in challenging the assumptions her colleagues held sacred." Another example: "An iconoclast by temperament, she built her career on overturning the assumptions her field held sacred."
Common synonyms for iconoclast include dissenter, rebel, nonconformist, maverick.
Antonyms of iconoclast include conformist, traditionalist.
Clusters with dissenter, rebel, and maverick, opposed by conformist and traditionalist. The GRE uses conformist as the clearest antonym for this challenger of orthodoxy.
Yes. Iconoclast is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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