canonize
Americanverb (used with object)
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Ecclesiastical. to place in the canon of saints.
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to glorify.
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to make canonical; place or include within a canon, especially of scriptural works.
They canonized the Song of Solomon after much controversy.
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to consider or treat as sacrosanct or holy.
They canonized his many verbal foibles and made them gospel.
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to sanction or approve authoritatively, especially ecclesiastically.
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Archaic. to deify.
verb
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RC Church to declare (a person) to be a saint and thus admit to the canon of saints
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to regard as holy or as a saint
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to sanction by canon law; pronounce valid
Other Word Forms
- canonization noun
- canonizer noun
- supercanonization noun
- uncanonization noun
- uncanonize verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of canonize
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; canon 1 ( def. ) + -ize ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The show’s new profiles include the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint: Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006 and was canonized in September by Pope Leo XIV.
Kilongo indeed plans to, as he put it, “show emerging artists who are adding new perspectives to canonized art historical conversation.”
From New York Times
She was known as the “queen of Italian TV” and, on at least one occasion, was described as “more miraculous than Padre Pio,” the canonized Italian mystic who has attracted a modern cult following.
From Washington Post
Perhaps the most dangerous escalation of Trump's appeals to fascist violence is his attempt to canonize followers who die in service to him and the movement.
From Salon
Many of the people who have been beatified never went on to be declared saints, while others were canonized, often centuries later.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
