canon law

American  

noun

1. the body of codified ecclesiastical law, especially of the Roman Catholic Church as promulgated in ecclesiastical councils and by the pope.

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canon law British  

noun

1. the law governing the affairs of a Christian Church, esp the law created or recognized by papal authority in the Roman Catholic Church See Corpus Juris Canonici Codex Juris Canonici

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Other Word Forms

• canon lawyer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of canon law

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

The group is hoping a change of canon law will bring about the zero-tolerance policy worldwide, and has spoken to experts and compiled documents that they will give to Pope Leo.

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025

Catholic canon law says the church “promotes the true and authentic veneration” of saints because of their pious examples.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2024

Francis remains in charge of the Vatican and the 1.3-billion-strong Catholic Church, even while unconscious and in the hospital, according to canon law.

From Washington Times • Jun. 7, 2023

But six years later, the Vatican announced he was stepping down — two decades before the usual retirement age — citing a canon law that refers to health or other “grave” reasons.

From Washington Post • Oct. 17, 2022

The Catholic Church has survived for centuries, not by passing on a ‘celibacy gene’ from one pope to the next, but by passing on the stories of the New Testament and of Catholic canon law.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari