canon

¹

[ kan-uhn ]

noun

1. an ecclesiastical rule or law enacted by a council or other competent authority and, in the Roman Catholic Church, approved by the pope.
2. the body of ecclesiastical law.
3. the body of rules, principles, or standards accepted as axiomatic and universally binding in a field of study or art:

   the neoclassical canon.

4. a fundamental principle or general rule:

   the canons of good behavior.

5. a standard; criterion:

   the canons of taste.

6. the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired.
7. any officially recognized set of sacred books.
8. any comprehensive list of books within a field.
9. the works of an author that have been accepted as authentic: Compare apocrypha ( def 3 ).

   There are 37 plays in the Shakespeare canon.

10. established or agreed-upon constraints governing the background narrative, setting, storyline, characters, etc., in a particular fictional world:

    It’s accepted as canon that vampires are harmed by sunlight.

11. a catalog or list, as of the saints acknowledged by the Church.
12. Liturgy. the part of the Mass between the Sanctus and the Communion.
13. Eastern Church. a liturgical sequence sung at matins, usually consisting of nine odes arranged in a fixed pattern.
14. Music. consistent, note-for-note imitation of one melodic line by another, in which the second line starts after the first.
15. Printing. a 48-point type.

canon

²

[ kan-uhn ]

noun

1. one of a body of dignitaries or prebendaries attached to a cathedral or a collegiate church; a member of the chapter of a cathedral or a collegiate church.
2. Roman Catholic Church. one of the members canons regular of certain religious orders.

canon

¹

/ ˈkænən /

noun

1. one of several priests on the permanent staff of a cathedral, who are responsible for organizing services, maintaining the fabric, etc
2. Also calledcanon regular RC Church a member of either of two religious orders, the Augustinian or Premonstratensian Canons, living communally as monks but performing clerical duties

cañon

²

/ ˈkænjən /

noun

1. a variant spelling of canyon

canon

³

/ ˈkænən /

noun

1. Christianity a Church decree enacted to regulate morals or religious practices
2. often plural a general rule or standard, as of judgment, morals, etc
3. often plural a principle or accepted criterion applied in a branch of learning or art
4. RC Church the complete list of the canonized saints
5. RC Church the prayer in the Mass in which the Host is consecrated
6. a list of writings, esp sacred writings, officially recognized as genuine
7. a piece of music in which an extended melody in one part is imitated successively in one or more other parts See also round catch
8. a list of the works of an author that are accepted as authentic
9. (formerly) a size of printer's type equal to 48 point

Other Words From

• canon·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of canon¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English, from Latin, from Greek kanṓn “measuring rod, rule,” akin to kánna “cane”; cane

Origin of canon²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English canoun, chano(u)n, chanoine, from Anglo-French canun, Old French chanoine, from Late Latin canōnicus “(one) under the rule” (i.e., a priest as opposed to a lay person), from Latin “according to or under the rule,” from Greek kanōnikós; canon ¹, -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of canon¹

C13: from Anglo-French canunie, from Late Latin canonicus one living under a rule, from canon ¹

Origin of canon²

Old English, from Latin, from Greek kanōn rule, rod for measuring, standard; related to kanna reed, cane ¹

Synonym Study

See principle.

Example Sentences

Gold, who has been deconstructing his way through the Shakespeare canon, has delivered a “Romeo + Juliet” in the form of rave.

From Los Angeles Times

That their marriage is destined not to last is “Big Bang Theory” canon; just how long it will last, or why it might end, who knows.

From Los Angeles Times

Phillips' decision to transform Harley from the canon survivor of the Joker's abusive tendencies to a perpetrator and partial architect of Arthur's pain just feeds into dangerous, prickly narratives about women.

From Salon

It's like the "great replacement" theory, but for the canon.

From Salon

The photos sparked more criticism on social media from people upset about the diverse casting, including Zegler’s, and the departure from the story’s classic canon.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• precept
• tenet

More About Canon

What does canon mean?

A canon is a group of works that contributes to the advancement of a field of study or to an artistic period. Shakespeare’s plays and poetry are considered a part of the canon of English literature, for example.

Related to that, canon is also agreed-upon or established constraints within a fictional world, such as vampires being harmed by sunlight.

A canon is also a religious rule put in place by someone of authority. In the Roman Catholic Church, for example, rules approved by the pope are considered canon.

The body of all the religious laws is also called a canon.

Example: The official canon of this writer has 30 works, but some people believe that she wrote over 100 in her lifetime.

Where does canon come from?

The first records of the term canon come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Greek kanṓn, meaning “measuring rod, rule.” Often canon can refer to a set of rules or a collection of works that dictate the rules.

In Christian faiths, the canon most often refers to the works agreed to make up the sacred scriptures. In Roman Catholicism, these works are approved by the pope.

In modern literature, canon can describe all works of fiction that are officially said to create a fictional world. For example, most movies, novels, and comics that take place in the Star Wars universe are considered canon. They follow the official timeline and the established constraints of the universe. Works that don’t follow the timeline or rules of the universe are not considered canon, however. Many fans of a fictional universe are particular about whether a work is canon or not.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to canon?

• canonical (adjective)
• canonlike (adjective)
• canonist (noun)

What are some synonyms for canon?

• edict
• rule
• oeuvre
• precept
• tenet

What are some words that share a root or word element with canon? 

• canon law
• canonical age
• canonical

What are some words that often get used in discussing canon?

• books
• law
• movies
• rules
• works

What are some words canon may be commonly confused with?

• cannon

How is canon used in real life?

Canon is frequently used to discuss rules or laws, but it’s also used frequently to discuss a collection of works in a field.

Santa, Dumbledore, and Gandalf all exist in the same universe. They’re brothers who’ve each chosen very different but equally benevolent paths. This is canon.

— Mark Hoppus (@markhoppus) December 24, 2017

Confirmed: the story of Star Wars Battlefront II will be canon in the Star Wars universe!

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 15, 2017

In 367 the Christian canon of Scripture was formally determined by Athanasius. #ChurchHistory

— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) November 26, 2012

 

 

Try using canon!

Is canon used correctly in the following sentence?

The latest Star Wars cartoon is not canon because it changes how Darth Vader dies.