Canonical (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Of or relating to or required by canon law.
Classification
Relational adjectives (pertainyms).
Examples
- The canonical hours of prayer were an essential part of the monk's daily routine.
- The bishop was tasked with interpreting the canonical texts to guide the church's decision.
- The priest's canonical duties included performing baptisms and weddings.
- The canonical age for ordination was 25, but exceptions could be made with special permission.
- The church's canonical laws governed the rules for marriage and divorce.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Conforming to orthodox or recognized rules; "the drinking of cocktails was as canonical a rite as the mixing"- Sinclair Lewis.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The ceremony followed the canonical procedures laid down in the church's doctrine.
- In this family, the canonical Sunday dinner consisted of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes.
- The canonical hours of prayer were strictly observed by the monks in the monastery.
- The artist's work was considered canonical due to its adherence to traditional techniques.
- The canonical procedures for the induction of new members were rigorous and time-honored.
Synonyms
Meaning 3
Reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality; "a basic story line"; "a canonical syllable pattern".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The mathematical formula was a canonical representation of the underlying principles of calculus.
- In linguistics, the canonical word order of a sentence is subject-verb-object.
- The artist's style was canonical of the period, yet uniquely expressive.
- The canonical narrative structure of a hero's journey has been used in countless stories.
- The software designer aimed to create a canonical API that would be intuitive and easy to use.
Synonyms
Meaning 4
Appearing in a biblical canon; "a canonical book of the Christian New Testament".
Classification
Relational adjectives (pertainyms).
Examples
- The Book of Genesis is a canonical text that has played a significant role in the history of Western civilization.
- In addition to its canonical status, the Gospel of Matthew is also one of the most widely referenced texts in Christian theology.
- The Quran contains canonical prayers that are recited by Muslims around the world during their daily worship.
- Scholars have long debated the canonical status of certain books that were once considered part of the biblical canon but are no longer included in most Christian Bibles.
- The Torah is the canonical scripture of Judaism, containing the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.