canonical
adjective
ca·non·i·cal
kə-ˈnä-ni-kəl 
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
Examples of canonical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her tales of power-hungry telepaths and erotic alien encounters are now canonical, in science fiction and beyond.
—
Stephen Kearse, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The location was canonical: on Whitehall, opposite the Cenotaph, Britain’s most important monument to its war dead.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
In fact, literary historians believe the canonical Dracula borrowed or plagiarized tropes from the novella as source material.
—Sally Tamarkin, Them, 23 Dec. 2024
New installments in the Star Wars universe carry with them everything that’s already happened in this fictional world — in all the films, in the new TV shows, and in whichever of the novels later designated as canonical.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2024
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Stephen Kearse, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The location was canonical: on Whitehall, opposite the Cenotaph, Britain’s most important monument to its war dead.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
In fact, literary historians believe the canonical Dracula borrowed or plagiarized tropes from the novella as source material.
—Sally Tamarkin, Them, 23 Dec. 2024
New installments in the Star Wars universe carry with them everything that’s already happened in this fictional world — in all the films, in the new TV shows, and in whichever of the novels later designated as canonical.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for canonical
Dictionary Entries Near canonical
Cite this Entry
“Canonical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonical. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.
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canonical
adjective
ca·non·i·cal
kə-ˈnän-i-kəl
1
: relating to or allowed by church law
2
: following a general rule or accepted procedure
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