Iconolatry

//ˌaɪ.kəˈnɒ.lə.tɹi// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The use of images as symbols that provide an inspiration and aid to worship. countable, uncountable

    "The opponents of iconolatry, the Sthanakavāsīs (i.e. those who worship only in community-houses and not in temples) maintain, on the other hand, that the cult of idols was not taught by the Tirthankaras."

  2. 2
    the worship of sacred images wordnet
  3. 3
    The veneration of celebrities. countable, uncountable

    "In the 1950s (his ascent was in 1953), 1960s, 1970s, and possibly beyond, he would surely have commanded supreme admiration, respect, and even iconolatry, especially in his native land."

Example

More examples

"The opponents of iconolatry, the Sthanakavāsīs (i.e. those who worship only in community-houses and not in temples) maintain, on the other hand, that the cult of idols was not taught by the Tirthankaras."

Etymology

From icono- + -latry.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.