Idolatry

Idolatry, in religion, worship of an image or statue representing a god or spirit. Overt forms of idolatry consist of explicit acts of reverence addressed to a person or object, such as dancing to the sun. Idols are generally found in animal or human form, and may be cared for as if they were alive. Christians, Jews, and Muslims consider the worship of images a sin, and the use of lifelike images has been prohibited in Islamic and Jewish art since ancient times.

See also: Icon.