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
Well, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul is the canonical example.
—
Choire Sicha, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
And now that the legend Cynthia Erivo will be adding her performance to a history of Wicked Witches of the West, now is the time to really lean into the fact that Elphaba is canonical lesbian lore.
—Them, 9 Oct. 2024
That’s the sort of canonical foresight the Black List has had since first launching in 2005 as Hollywood insiders’ go-to index of screenwriters.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024
The Brussels curators were as shamelessly European in their selections as the Met’s were doggedly international, featuring a group of largely canonical names and classifying their creations by motif: the forest, the labyrinth, and so on.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for canonical 
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Choire Sicha, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
And now that the legend Cynthia Erivo will be adding her performance to a history of Wicked Witches of the West, now is the time to really lean into the fact that Elphaba is canonical lesbian lore.
—Them, 9 Oct. 2024
That’s the sort of canonical foresight the Black List has had since first launching in 2005 as Hollywood insiders’ go-to index of screenwriters.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024
The Brussels curators were as shamelessly European in their selections as the Met’s were doggedly international, featuring a group of largely canonical names and classifying their creations by motif: the forest, the labyrinth, and so on.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 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 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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