canonical

[ kuh-non-i-kuhl ]

adjective

1. relating to, established by, or conforming to a canon or canons
2. included in the canon of the Bible.
3. authorized; recognized; accepted:

   canonical works.

4. Mathematics. (of an equation, coordinate, etc.) in simplest or standard form.
5. following the pattern of a musical canon.
6. Linguistics. (of a form or pattern) characteristic, general or basic:

   the canonical form of the past tense;

   a canonical syllable pattern.

noun

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

canonical

/ kəˈnɒnɪkəl /

adjective

1. belonging to or included in a canon of sacred or other officially recognized writings
2. belonging to or in conformity with canon law
3. according to recognized law; accepted
4. music in the form of a canon
5. of or relating to a cathedral chapter
6. of or relating to a canon (clergyman)

Derived Forms

• caˈnonically, adverb

Other Words From

• ca·noni·cal·ly adverb
• super·ca·noni·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of canonical¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin canōnicālis, equivalent to canōnic(us) ( canon ² ) + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

These included a prohibition on White House meddling in Justice Department prosecutions that took on canonical status.

From Los Angeles Times

To them, a Colombian actor wasn’t qualified to play a princess with a canonical history of having “skin as white as snow.”

From Los Angeles Times

Each is a chapter in an ongoing canonical saga whose overall arc does not much interest me, especially given how many times these worlds have been rewritten, rebooted and retconned over the decades, how much there is to keep track of and how short life is.

From Los Angeles Times

The canonical, almost cartoonish image of red-and-white mushrooms conjured when thinking of Alice’s adventures may have inspired Santa Claus’ sleigh ride.

From Slate

"We thought one of the knobs that evolution might have turned was by upregulating E2F7, to change the canonical cell cycle into the multiciliation cycle," said Reiter.

From Science Daily