'iconoclasm' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'eikonoklasmos,' where 'eikon' meant 'image' and 'klasmos' meant 'breaking.'

'eikonoklasmos' transformed into the Medieval Latin word 'iconoclasmus,' and eventually became the modern English word 'iconoclasm.'

Initially, it meant 'breaking of images,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'rejection of established beliefs or institutions.'