canonical

adjective

ca·​non·​i·​cal kə-ˈnä-ni-kəl How to pronounce canonical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or forming a canon
canonical scriptures
2
: conforming to a general rule or acceptable procedure : orthodox
His proposals were generally accepted as canonical.
3
: of or relating to a clergyman who is a canon
4
: reduced to the canonical form
a canonical matrix
canonically adverb

Examples of canonical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But this is a company for whom beauty in design is also canonical, and more than ever the battle here is to reconcile aesthetics with aerodynamics. Jason Barlow, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024 Likewise, though the comparison would probably embarrass him, David Cromer did something with Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in 2009 that manages, to this day, to keep haunting a play that’s as canonical as Romeo and Juliet, as curricular as To Kill a Mockingbird. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024 Initially, the stories depicted in Arcane felt inspired by League but not canonical, but that changed in 2023, when Riot confirmed the show as part of the game’s official lore. Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024 Autonomous cars—one of the canonical sci-fi conveniences—were the hottest thing in tech for a few years around 2018. Wired Staff, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for canonical 

Word History

Etymology

see canon entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of canonical was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near canonical

Cite this Entry

“Canonical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonical. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

canonical

adjective
ca·​non·​i·​cal kə-ˈnän-i-kəl How to pronounce canonical (audio)
1
: relating to or allowed by church law
2
: following a general rule or accepted procedure
canonically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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