canonize

verb

can·​on·​ize ˈka-nə-ˌnīz How to pronounce canonize (audio)
canonized ˈka-nə-ˌnīzd How to pronounce canonize (audio)
in "Hamlet" usually
kə-ˈnä-ˌnīzd How to pronounce canonize (audio) ; canonizing
Synonyms of canonize

transitive verb

1
: to declare (a deceased person) an officially recognized saint
2
: to make canonical
3
: to sanction by ecclesiastical authority
4
: to attribute authoritative sanction or approval to
5
: to treat as illustrious, preeminent, or sacred
… his mother had canonized all his timidities as common sense.—F. Scott Fitzgerald
canonization
ˌka-nə-nə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce canonize (audio)
noun

Synonyms of canonize

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of canonize in a Sentence

She died 100 years ago and was canonized in Rome last year. a singing star so canonized by his fans that they refuse to believe anything bad about him
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 whether in Frankfurt or, later, Weimar — where Soviet officials are as keen to canonize Thomas — this father and daughter aren’t simply driving through Germany but taking a tour across fascism’s long shadow, which still darkens the world. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 That may be true in universities where the evaluative component is elided because the literature being discussed has been canonized. — Lola Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026 Beyond Carrington and Vicuña’s stylistic affinities, Lehmann and Norris pointed out how the reception of the artists’ work has changed over the decades and that both have only been canonized relatively recently. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 She was beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1627, and canonized by Pope Leo XIII on May 24, 1900. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for canonize

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin canonizare, from Late Latin canon catalog of saints, from Latin, standard

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of canonize was in the 14th century

Rhymes for canonize

See All Rhymes for canonize

Browse Nearby Words

canonization
canonize
canon law
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonize. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

canonize

verb
can·​on·​ize ˈkan-ə-ˌnīz How to pronounce canonize (audio)
canonized; canonizing
1
: to declare to be a saint and worthy of public respect
2
: to treat something as if it were sacred
canonization
ˌkan-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All