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
Etymology
Origin of canonize
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; canon 1 ( def. ) + -ize ( def. )
Explanation
When you canonize a person, you put him on a pedestal — in other words, you think he's so wonderful that he can do no wrong. You might canonize your grandmother after she dies, choosing to remember her as a saint who never raised her voice and was kind to everyone. When the Roman Catholic Church canonizes someone, it has a slightly different meaning. The Church canonizes people who have performed miracles and are declared — literally — to be saints. The literal meaning is "place in the canon of saints," and it comes from the Latin canon, "church rule."
Vocabulary lists containing canonize
World Religions
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Angela's Ashes
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 14–May 20, 2022
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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.
Memes, livestreams and hashtags now allow anyone to canonize someone they admire.
From Salon • Sep. 27, 2025
“It’s a gift of God that Pope Francis — an Argentine pope, a Jesuit pope — can canonize her,” he said.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2024
Williams is arguably the best candidate for the Heisman Trophy, but to canonize him in such manner is another story.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2022
Although some on the committee seem ready to canonize the fasting girl, others are more skeptical.
From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2022
We were almost ready, in our thankfulness and joy, to canonize the ship and crew, and cut her up into snuffboxes and toothpicks.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 110, December, 1866 A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics by Various
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.
