
Related to canonical: canonical hours, Canonical form, Canonical name


 (kə-nŏn′ĭ-kəl) also ca·non·ic (-ĭk)
1. Of, relating to, or required by canon law.
2. Of or appearing in the biblical canon.
3. Conforming to orthodox or well-established rules or patterns, as of procedure.
4. Of or belonging to a cathedral chapter.
5. Of or relating to a literary canon: a canonical writer like Keats.
6. Music Having the form of a canon.

ca·non′i·cal·ly adv.
can′on·ic′i·ty (kăn′ə-nĭs′ĭ-tē) n.


(kəˈnɒnɪkəl) or


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


(kəˈnɒn ɪ kəl)

adj. Also, ca•non′ic.
2. included in the canon of the Bible.
3. authorized; recognized; accepted.
4. (of a mathematical equation, coordinate, etc.) in simplest or standard form.
5. canonicals, garments prescribed by canon law for clergy when officiating.
[1150–1200; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Medieval Latin]
ca•non′i•cal•ly, adv.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.canonical - appearing in a biblical canon; "a canonical book of the Christian New Testament"
2.canonical - of or relating to or required by canon law
3.canonical - reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality; "a basic story line"; "a canonical syllable pattern"
standard - established or well-known or widely recognized as a model of authority or excellence; "a standard reference work"; "the classical argument between free trade and protectionism"


adjective authorized, accepted, approved, recognized, sanctioned, orthodox, authoritative Caravaggio has finally attained canonical status as an artist.


Adhering to beliefs or practices approved by authority or tradition:
مُطابِقٌ للشَّرع الكَنَسي
í samræmi viî kirkjurétt
kutsal olanlara ait


[kəˈnɒnɪkəl] ADJcanónico


(Eccl) → kanonisch; canonical dressPriestergewand nt
(fig, = accepted) → anerkannt, rechtmäßig


(ˈkӕnən) noun
1. a rule (especially of the church).
2. a clergyman belonging to a cathedral.
3. a list of saints.
4. a musical composition in which one part enters after another in imitation.
5. all the writings of an author that are accepted as genuine. the Shakespeare canon.
caˈnonical (-ˈno-) adjective
ˈcanonize, ˈcanonise verb
to place in the list of saints. Joan of Arc was canonized in 1920.
ˌcanoniˈzation, ˌcanoniˈsation noun
References in classic literature ?
It may be the office has helped to cover some of his canonical irregularities.
They sing the psalms of David, of which, as well as the other parts of the Holy Scriptures, they have a very exact translation in their own language; in which, though accounted canonical, the books of the Maccabees are omitted.
Thus, at sixteen years of age, the young clerk might have held his own, in mystical theology, against a father of the church; in canonical theology, against a father of the councils; in scholastic theology, against a doctor of Sorbonne.
All day long, within the canonical hours, the door of Holchester House is perpetually opening to receive visitors.
Canonical has announced it had found a security vulnerability on Ubuntu Phone.
Alliance Technology Group and Canonical said they have jointly announced a collaboration to deliver secure hybrid networking solutions on top of Canonical's managed OpenStack cloud, BootStack.
Alliance Technology Group and Canonical jointly announced today a collaboration to deliver secure hybrid networking solutions on top of Canonical's managed OpenStack cloud, BootStack.
Finally, if demonstration in the canonical sense employs only formal causes, what is the status of the other causes listed in 2.
Meizu, the famous smartphone manufacturer from China, and Canonical, the company that develops the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system, have officially signed up a deal to promote a new edition of Flyme OS at Meizu headquarters in China.