1. Opposition to the use of idols or images: Aniconism is a regulation by some religions against the representations of divine creatures.

Among some religious groups, there is a prohibition against aniconism of any images of either living creatures or of any deities.

2. The worship of objects that are symbolic but which do not actually show an image of a god or gods: In the early history of Christianity (726 A.D., Byzantine Emperor Leo 3), there were aniconisms that prohibited the veneration or worship among Christians of any representations of deities.