canon law

noun

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

canon law

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

Other Words From

• canon lawyer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of canon law¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

It means canon law students have no case law to study or cite.

From Seattle Times

It means canon law students have no case law to study or cite.

From Seattle Times

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

From Seattle Times

The verdict also did some legal gymnastics to make sense of the Vatican’s outdated criminal code, based on Italy’s 1889 code and the church’s canon law, requalifying or combining charges to fit into other ones.

From Seattle Times

“If there is no canonical crime, then it means that canon law is simply used as a mechanism of political repression.”

From Seattle Times