canon

/'kænən/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
canon

A scholar carefully places a book from the biblical canon on a library shelf.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A collection of books accepted as holy scripture: A set of religious texts officially recognized as authoritative, especially the books of the Bible accepted by a Christian church.
    • A complete list of saints: An official list of saints recognized by a church, particularly the Roman Catholic Church.
    • A contrapuntal musical composition: A piece of music in which one melody is strictly imitated by one or more other voices or parts after a given duration.
    • A rule or body of rules or principles: A set of fundamental rules, standards, or criteria established as valid in a particular field, art, or philosophy.
    • A member of a cathedral chapter: A priest who is part of the group governing a cathedral.
    • A ravine formed by a river: A deep gorge or canyon, typically in an arid area. (This meaning is now rare and usually spelled canyon).
    • A list of authentic works: The collection of works considered to be genuinely by a particular author or within a specific artistic tradition.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • The biblical canon was established by early church councils.
    • Her name was added to the canon of saints after evidence of miracles.
    • Bach's musical canon demonstrates perfect imitation between voices.
    • The novel challenged the established canon of Western literature.
    • The canon offered guidance to the cathedral's daily operations.
    • The canon of polite society required formal introductions.
Advanced Usage
  • "Within the canon": Considered part of the accepted, authoritative body of work in a field.
    • Scholars debate whether this newly discovered manuscript falls within the Shakespearean canon.
  • "Canon formation": The historical and critical process by which a set of works becomes authoritative.
    • The course examines the canon formation of American poetry.
Variants and Related Words
  • Canonical (adj): Conforming to or included in a canon; accepted as authoritative.
    • The canonical gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
  • Canonize (verb): To officially declare someone a saint; to place in a canon of authoritative works.
    • The church voted to canonize the humanitarian nun.
  • Canon law (noun phrase): The body of laws and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority.
    • The marriage was annulled under canon law.
Synonyms
  • Standard: An accepted level of quality or attainment.
  • Principle: A fundamental truth or proposition.
  • Corpus: A collection of written texts, especially by a single author.
  • Doctrine: A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church or group.
Related Phrases
  • Canon event (modern informal): An event considered so fundamental to a person's character or story that it is unchangeable. (Derived from modern pop culture usage regarding narrative).
    • Failing his first driving test was a canon event in his teenage years.
Related Idioms
  • Lay down the canon: To authoritatively establish rules or principles. (Formal/Literary)
    • The council met to lay down the canon for monastic life.
canon

A scholar carefully places a book from the biblical canon on a library shelf.

Noun
  1. a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired
  2. a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church
  3. a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts
  4. a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
  5. a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter
  6. a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy
    • the neoclassical canon
    • canons of polite society