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
In game theory, there are two types of canonical games.
—
Vineer Bhansali, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Crouch used a canonical children’s fantasy movie as allegory for the the legal hurdles the district faced in relation to the proposal to split.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
The first effect is the canonical response to food, evidently preserved across the tree of life in a strikingly intact way.
—Nikolay Kukushkin, Big Think, 10 Mar. 2025
Like so many streaming originals, The Electric State seems less a real movie than an imitation of one, in this case with vague aspirations toward canonical Amblin.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canonical
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.
Vineer Bhansali, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Crouch used a canonical children’s fantasy movie as allegory for the the legal hurdles the district faced in relation to the proposal to split.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
The first effect is the canonical response to food, evidently preserved across the tree of life in a strikingly intact way.
—Nikolay Kukushkin, Big Think, 10 Mar. 2025
Like so many streaming originals, The Electric State seems less a real movie than an imitation of one, in this case with vague aspirations toward canonical Amblin.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canonical
Cite this Entry
“Canonical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonical. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share