canonical

[ kuh-non-i-kuh l ]

/ kəˈnɒn ɪ kəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR canonical ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Also ca·non·ic.

pertaining to, established by, or conforming to a canon or canons.

included in the canon of the Bible.

authorized; recognized; accepted: canonical works.

Mathematics. (of an equation, coordinate, etc.) in simplest or standard form.

following the pattern of a musical canon.

Linguistics. (of a form or pattern) characteristic, general or basic: the canonical form of the past tense; a canonical syllable pattern.

noun

canonicals, garments prescribed by canon law for clergy when officiating.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?

Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!

Question 1 of 11

“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of canonical

1150–1200; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Medieval Latin canōnicālis, equivalent to canōnic(us) (see canon²) + -ālis -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM canonical

ca·non·i·cal·ly, adverbsu·per·ca·non·i·cal, adjective

Words nearby canonical

canon, canon city, canon law, canonchet, canoness, canonical, canonical age, canonical hour, canonicals, canonicate, canonicity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for canonical

“This is not a judgment of guilt, nor is it a suspension of any other canonical penalty,” Canary wrote.
Chicago Priests Raped and Pillaged for 50 Years|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We can see evidence of its presence even in the communities of the authors who produced our canonical Gospels.
Do We Know if There Was Really An Empty Tomb?|Bart D. Ehrman|April 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This Macbeth—electrifying, rich, and strange—exists as an irresistible complement to canonical stagings.
Madbeth: Alan Cumming Plays Almost Every Role in “Macbeth”  |Liesl Schillinger|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I piped up my objection, but it was the canonical term and there was no chance I would succeed in changing it.
A Jewish American In Paris|Euny Hong|January 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

So if I fail to mention some novel you regard as canonical here, just leave a comment.
The Best Stoner Novels|Sam Munson|April 20, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Some of these are apocryphal, and not confirmed by the canonical scriptures of India.
The Christ|John Eleazer Remsburg
If we turn to the Clementines, we find, in the same way, passages not to be found in the Canonical Gospels.
The Freethinker's Text Book, Part II.|Annie Besant
They found him at the landing-place of Don Diego Amian, reciting the canonical hours.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XXXV, 1640-1649|Various
A detailed account of these will be found in the article Hours, Canonical.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
And that this juridical and canonical sifting of poor ministers was not to edify and reform.
Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth|Lucy Aikin

British Dictionary definitions for canonical

canonical

canonic

/ (kəˈnɒnɪkəl) /

adjective

belonging to or included in a canon of sacred or other officially recognized writings

belonging to or in conformity with canon law

according to recognized law; accepted

music in the form of a canon

of or relating to a cathedral chapter

of or relating to a canon (clergyman)

Derived forms of canonical

canonically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

canonical

adjective Also ca·non·ic.

noun

QUIZZES

CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?

Origin of canonical

OTHER WORDS FROM canonical

Words nearby canonical

Words related to canonical

Example sentences from the Web for canonical

British Dictionary definitions for canonical

canonic

adjective

Derived forms of canonical