canonize

Meaning

1. (British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To declare (a deceased person) as a saint, and enter them into the canon of saints.
2. (British, English, Oxford, US, figuratively, transitive) To regard as a saint; to glorify, to exalt to the highest honour.
3. (British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To formally declare (a piece of religious writing) to be part of the biblical canon.
4. (British, English, Oxford, US, broadly, transitive) To regard (an artistic or written work or its creator) as one of a group that are representative of a particular field.
5. (British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) Especially of a church: to give official approval to; to authorize, to sanction.

Opposite of

uncanonize

Synonyms

canonise

saint

sanctify

establish

Translations

canoniser

canonizar

canonizzare

heiligsprechen

yüceltmek

canonitzar

santificare

canoniseren

canonizar

beatificar

takdis etmek

heiligverklaren

heilig verklaren

αγιοποιώ

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkænənaɪz/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: canonizen

Cognate with French: canoniser

In summary

From Late Middle English canonizen (“to declare as a saint; to appoint to an ecclesiastical office”), from Old French canonisier (modern French canoniser (“to canonize”)), or from its etymon Medieval Latin, Late Latin canōnizāre, the present active infinitive of Latin canōnizō (“to recognize as a saint, canonize; to declare as authoritative or official”), from Latin canōn (“measuring line; (figurative) precept, rule, canon; authorized catalogue”) + -izō (suffix forming verbs). The English word is analysable as canon (“general principle, rule; authoritative group of works; catalogue of saints canonized in the Roman Catholic Church”) + -ize.